Remembrance
by Orla
Summary: An meeting in Sally's past has an impact on the future. Rated R for one scene later on.
1. Default Chapter

Remembrance  
by Orla  
  
Warnings: None... yet.  
Pairings: Non-yaoi and not what you'd expect. ^^  
  
***  
  
Disclaimer: The Gundam Wing characters do not belong to me,  
I am only borrowing them for a short while and promise  
to return them in one piece.  
  
***  
  
Part One  
  
***  
AC 191  
  
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." The young  
woman grumbled as her dark blond hair was twisted into a   
fancy style and decorated with delicate pink roses.  
  
"Oh come on... don't be like that _now_!" Her friend  
giggled. "Surely even you can't deny how exciting this is  
going to be!"  
  
"Exciting? Hardly! Torturous is the word I'd chose... and  
if I had known that you were going to dress me up in a   
white dress then I never would have agreed to this!"  
  
"Sally, you look lovely, really... take a look in the  
mirror and see for yourself."  
  
Muttering under her breath, Sally stood up and regarded  
her reflection in the mirror. The sight did not inspire her  
with confidence in the slightest. "I look like an idiot."  
She said flatly.   
  
"Sally Po, you do not!" But there was a tremour of doubt in  
the other girl's voice. "You... do look... different though."  
  
Sally sighed. "I told you that I don't suit fancy dresses,   
Nicola." She reached up and gingerly touched her face. She   
was wearing more make up than she had ever done in her entire   
life, it made her face feel stiff and, in her opinion, look   
extremely unnatural.  
  
*I should never have let Nicola and the others badger me   
into this.* Sally reflected gloomily. Of all the girls in  
the Alliance Academy, Sally had been the least enthusiastic  
about the invitation to attend a ball at Duke Dermail's  
mansion. The purpose of the ball was to help the Alliance  
cadets and the Specials cadets get to know each other...  
since a new base for the Specials had been recently established  
not to far from the Alliance Academy.   
  
As soon as the invitation arrived all the girls (and a few of  
the boys) went all giddy with excitement. For the next week  
all anyone would talk about was what they were going to wear  
and who they hoped to dance with. All except Sally who tried  
to ignore everything by burying herself in her medical textbooks  
or training more frequently. She constantly stated that she  
was _not_ going. Pointing out that she hated dressing up, she  
was too tall and lanky anyway, she could easily get to know  
the Specials cadets at the inter-Academy games after the study   
break, and also she _really_ needed to study to pass her medical   
exam in three weeks. However, Sally's room mate, Nicola, and the  
other girls turned deaf ears to Sally's (most reasonable)  
objections and waged an all out campaign to get their friend   
to come.  
  
Reflecting on the past weeks events, Sally cast dark looks  
at the other teenage girls fluttering around the dressing  
room. They all looked bright and happy, pretty in their   
lovely ballgowns, and talking excitedly about the handsome  
men they would dance with as they waited for the transport   
that was going to take them to the mansion.  
  
Sally sighed. She really had no interest in getting a   
boyfriend. In her view it would just be a hassle and   
interfer with her training. She hadn't join the Alliance  
to get a guy! Besides, she enjoyed a good camaraderie with  
all the boys of her acquaintance... why ruin that with  
romance?  
  
"Here it is!" Nicola squealed, tugging on Sally's arm.   
"Don't look so grim, Sal! You'll have fun."  
  
Sally looked once more at her reflection in the mirror.  
A stranger stared back at her and she shook her head.   
"Fun, huh? Suuure..."  
  
***  
  
Ten minutes after arriving in the ballroom, Sally knew   
she should have been stronger and held out against the   
pressure from her friends. This was a complete disaster.  
  
Standing by a tall, leafy pot plant... almost behind it  
in fact... Sally watched Nicola and the others flirt  
gaily with the Specials soldiers. Sally sipped her glass  
of over-sweet punch and sighed for the fifteenth time.  
Flirting was an art she's never mastered, nor felt the  
need to. *I knew I should have been stronger and held out   
against the pressure. This is a complete disaster.*  
  
She spotted a Specials cadet coming towards her, a smug   
smile on his handsome face. Sally rolled her eyes. For   
some reason that she couldn't understand, alot of the  
men seemed to feel the need to chat her up. She suspected  
that this had a lot to do with the incredibly low cut  
bodice of her dress. However, once they started talking  
to her and found out that she wasn't going to act all  
coy and flirty, that she actually had a _mind_, then  
they found this sudden excuse to depart. Sally didn't  
think she could take this anymore.  
  
Pretending that she hadn't seen the cadet approaching,  
Sally swanned past him and quickly escaped out of one   
of the doors. She found herself in a long corridor and   
pondered her next move.   
  
There was no way she could leave the ball early and there  
really wasn't that much point anyway. The transport would   
be returning soon for all of them and she didn't have the   
money for a taxi. She walked down the corridor and looked   
at the closed doors lining it. Perhaps Duke Demail had a   
library or somewhere she could sit and wait the last of the  
evening out. At least no one would disturb her.  
  
Boldly, Sally pushed open one of the doors and stepped  
inside. Her gaze fell on a vast number of shelves  
crammed with books and she grinned. Perhaps there would  
even be some medical books here... that would be useful!  
She walked boldly towards the shelves and then froze as  
a flicker of movement caught her eye.  
  
Slowly, Sally turned and found herself staring into the  
eyes of a tall young man who was getting up from the  
chair he had been sitting on in the corner of the library.  
He looked just as surprised as she, one hand limply holding  
a glass of red wine while a book dangled from the other.  
He was, however, one of the more handsome men that Sally   
had seen this evening. He was elegantly dressed in a royal   
blue dress uniform that displayed his well-built figure to   
an advantage and matched his eyes. His cinnamon brown hair   
was neatly brushed back and she could see the aristocratic   
breeding in his face. She guess him to be about three or four   
years older than herself, possibly around eighteen or nineteen.  
  
He broke the frozen silence first, placing his wine glass  
down and snapping the book shut. "Can I help you, Miss?"  
He asked in a rich, cultured voice.  
  
For once Sally's wits completely deserted her. "I... I..."  
She scrabbled desperately for a reasonable explanation.  
"I was... looking for the bathroom!" She said in a rush  
and then winced as she realised how lame that sounded.  
  
He raised one of his long, forked eyebrows. "I see..."  
  
"And clearly this isn't it, so pardon me for disturbing  
you!" Sally turned to the door.  
  
"Wait." He put down his book. "I cannot let a lady wander  
around when she is so clearly lost." He bowed and smiled  
at her. "Please let me show you."  
  
"Uh..." Sally found her wits deserting her for the second  
time. She couldn't come up with a good reason the refuse   
his offer. "Uh... thanks."  
  
"My pleasure." He opened the door for her and Sally let  
him led her down the corridor to another door. One that   
had been clearly marked 'Ladies'. Sally gathered the  
shreds of her dignity and thanked him with as calmly  
as she could. Once inside, she waited for an appropriate  
length of time and then came back out.  
  
He was waiting for her.  
  
Sally blinked. "Um..."  
  
He smiled. "May I escort you back to the ballroom?"  
  
Sally looked suspiciously at him and caught a glimmer  
of amusement combined with curiousity in his eyes. She  
found herself smiling slightly back at him. "Actually,  
I'd prefer not to go back inside just yet." She said  
politely.   
  
"I can relate to that." He said. "I don't particularly  
want to go in there myself."  
  
She blinked and looked him up and down. "Why not?" Sally  
asked bluntly. "You look like you'd be more at home there  
than me."  
  
He shrugged. "Maybe, but these sort of functions tend to  
run together when you've attended a large number."  
  
"Oh, I can see how that would make things awkward." Sally  
said a little sacastically.   
  
The door to the ballroom opened and Sally heard Nicola's  
voice. "Have you seen Sally?" She was asking someone.  
"I want to introduce her to..."  
  
"Oh no..." Sally muttered.  
  
"There's a door to the gardens just this way." He put a hand  
on her arm.   
  
Sally hesistated. But Nicola's chatter was coming closer and  
she really didn't want to be set up. "Okay, let's go."  
  
The gardens were beautiful. There was a heavy scent of roses   
in the warm summer air and the paths were dimly lit. Sally  
allowed herself to enjoy the atmosphere for a moment before  
turning her attention to something that had been bothering  
her for a while.   
  
"Look... you've been very helpful." She said. "But I feel  
very awkward not knowing your name."  
  
He laughed. "My name is Treize Khushrenada." He took her   
hand and bowed over it.  
  
Sally's eyes narrowed slightly. His name was somewhat   
familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "My name's Sally   
Po." She said as she firmly removed her hand. "And don't   
expect me to curtsey or bow because I can't do either."  
  
There was a short stunned silence as Treize absorbed her  
remark. "Can you shake hands then?" He asked finally.  
  
"I believe that's within my capabilities, yes." Sally  
extended her hand. "Although I usually don't appreciate  
having my hand slobbered over." She added as Treize took  
it.  
  
There was another stunned silence. "I _don't_ slobber."  
Treize said firmly.  
  
"I didn't say that _you_ did." Sally said with a slight  
shrug. "I was just pointing it out."  
  
"Are you always this blunt to everyone?" Treize enquired.  
"Or am I a special case?"  
  
Sally grinned. "I am pretty forthright." She admitted. "But  
don't expect me to apologise for it." She put her hands behind  
her back and sauntered past Treize, walking to standing beneath  
the balcony outside the ballroom. "If you really must know, I  
didn't want to be here in the first place."  
  
"Which is why you left the ballroom I take it." Treize moved  
to stand beside her and Sally half turned to him.  
  
"Pretty much." She tilted her head. "Like yourself, I don't   
find this sort of thing very interesting... although my  
reason is a little different from yours."  
  
The strains of a waltz drifted out to them, drowning out  
some of the chatter. Treize held out a hand. "Even if you  
don't like the situation, will you do me the honour of   
dancing with me, Miss Sally?"  
  
She stared at him. "Out here?"  
  
"Yes," Treize smiled almost teasingly. "Or don't you like  
dancing either, Miss Sally?"  
  
Actually Sally secretly loved to dance, but had yet to find  
a partner that matched her... or who wasn't just flirting.  
She looked at Treize, the wide courtyard and listen to the  
music that just begged to be danced to. "Hmm... okay." She  
said. "But only if you drop the 'Miss' thing, just call me  
Sally."  
  
Treize chuckled. "Very well... Sally, would you do me the  
honour of..."  
  
"Sure." She interrupted him and placed her hands in his.   
Treize shook his head and pulled her into his arms, moving  
elegantly in the first steps of the waltz.  
  
He was a good dancer... No, an excellent dancer. Sally was  
expertly guided across the flagstones, her dress billowing  
around her. The magic of the moment swept her up, her feet  
moving lightly in perfect rhythm with his, her head tilted  
back, a smile on her lips. In this brief moment she felt  
deliciously feminine, more so than she had ever done in her  
fifteen years of life.   
  
The music stopped, but Treize didn't release her. Sally came  
out of her daze and blinked up at him, her blue eyes   
narrowing with suspicion. Keeping one hand on her waist, he  
brought the other up to gently caress her cheek. Sally's  
eyes narrowed further. She wasn't sure she liked where this  
was going. However, a little voice whispered in the corner  
of her mind that perhaps it would be interesting... and  
educational not to move. After all, no one had kissed her  
yet... one had to start _somewhere_.  
  
So Sally made no protest as Treize bent his head and gently  
pressed his lips to hers.  
  
Fireworks did go off... but only the ones scheduled in the  
evening's program to signal the end of the ball.   
  
Treize was definitely a good kisser though Sally decided.   
Not that she had a lot to compare him with, but she was sure   
a bad kisser would be a lot more... sloppy. The sensation   
wasn't that bad either, quite... pleasant. She suspected he'd   
had a lot of practice... on a lot of girls. She found  
herself idly wondering what number she was. Would he be   
really offended if she asked?   
  
Treize moved back and smiled down at her. Sally licked her  
lips. "Hmmm..." She said and a shadow of uncertainty crept  
into Treize's eyes. Women didn't usually go 'Hmmm'after he'd   
kissed them, nor did they look as if they were critically   
analysing his kissing technique.   
  
"That was nice." Sally said finally. She disentangled herself  
from his arms and smiled. "Thank you."  
  
Treize looked as if she had just hit him on the head with a  
baseball bat. "_Nice_?" He repeated increduously.  
  
"Saaaaaallllly!!" Nicola's voice rang out from the ballroom.  
"Sally! The transport's here! Where are you?"  
  
"And she calls herself ladylike." Sally grinned, ignoring the  
rather shell-shocked young man in front of her. "Thanks for   
the dance and the kiss, Treize. It was very interesting!  
Goodbye!" She bunched up her skirts and ran inside the mansion.  
  
Treize watched Sally go, his expression of bafflement rapidly  
turing into an intrigued smile. "Not yet goodbye I think." He   
murmured after her.  
  
***  
  
AC 198 : Christmas Eve  
  
Sally nudged a piece of charred wood with her toe and looked  
around. It wasn't so strange that she would start remembering  
that night, eight years ago now. After all, it was right on this  
spot that they'd danced and...  
  
"Sally!" Her partner's voice rang out from the shell of the huge  
mansion and she looked up to see Wufei gingerly walking over  
some of the rubble towards her. "Find anything?" He asked her.  
  
"No." She said with a slight sigh and Wufei shot her a quizzical  
look.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" He asked. "You had the oddest expression  
on your face just now."  
  
Sally hesitated. "Well... I was just... remembering." She said  
evasively. She had not said much about her past days in the   
Alliance Academy, especially not to Wufei. Actually she had   
shoved alot of it to the back of her mind anyway. What was the  
point of dredging up the past? It was only seeing the charred  
remains of Duke Demail's mansion that had reminded of her first  
meeting with Treize Khushrenada anyway.  
  
Wufei waited for her to elaborated on her cryptic remark, but  
as the silence grew he merely filed it away for future thought  
and looked back at the remains. "I suppose Une has no idea who  
could have done this?"  
  
Sally shook her head, rolling the charred piece of wood under  
her foot. "Not exactly, but she's got a long list for us to  
check through." She grimaced slightly. "Of course, this fire  
could just be someones way of exacting a little revenge because  
of Dekim Barton's attempt this time last year."  
  
"Hn. Looks like there are more people trying to lay ghosts to  
rest." Wufei said and Sally glanced quickly at him, remembering  
how he had tried to lay his ghosts.   
  
She looked out at the garden and noticed the spiky stems of  
half-dead roses poking through the snow. The heady scent of roses  
lingering in the air of a warm summer evening flashed into her  
memory and she felt an unexpected prick of tears on her eyelids.  
She blinked them away angrily, wondering why she was feeling   
so melancholic. After all, it wasn't as if she had ever really...  
  
"Sometimes ghosts re-emerge when you least expect it." She said  
abruptly and turned on her heel, walking swiftly across the thin  
crust of snow and ash.   
  
Wufei watched her leave, a slight frown marring his brow. What  
had gotten into Sally all of a sudden?  
  
***  
end of Part One  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Part 2

Remembrance  
by Orla  
  
Warnings: None... yet.  
Pairings: Non-yaoi and not what you'd expect. ^^  
  
***  
  
Disclaimer: The Gundam Wing characters do not belong to me,  
I am only borrowing them for a short while and promise  
to return them in one piece.  
  
//...// indicate flashbacks  
  
***  
  
Part Two  
  
***  
  
AC 191  
  
"I think that was the most magical evening of my entire night!"  
Nicola enthused over her museli the next morning.  
  
"Uh-huh." Sally answered, frowning as she chewed her toast and  
marked a particularly complex passage in her textbook.  
  
"Of course I noticed that _you_ went off and hid somewhere!" Nicola  
waved her spoon reprovingly, splattering milk on on the table. "And  
I found the most delicious guy for you too!"  
  
"MmmmHmmm." Sally re-read another passage, committing it to memory  
as Nicola's words flowed over her. She swallowed the last piece of  
her toast. "I'm going back to the dorm." She said, closing her book  
and standing up. "See you later."  
  
"Wait!" Nicola practically inhaled her museli and charged after her.  
"Sally! Are you mad at me?"  
  
Sally paused and looked at her. "Nicola, why would I be mad at you?  
After all, you only emotionally blackmailed me into attending a   
function I didn't want to attend and wearing the most ridiculous  
outfit I've ever worn. Nope, nothing to get _mad_ about."  
  
"I hate it when you're sarcastic." Nicola grumbled. "Can't you yell,  
like normal people?"  
  
Sally smirked as she pushed open the door to their room. "What, and   
spoil all my fun?"   
  
"Huh, I... OH!" Nicola squealed. "Look at those roses!"  
  
"Well, you could hardly miss them." Sally said drily as she took in  
the huge bunch of red roses that was almost taking over the surface  
of Nicola's desk. "From one of your admirers, Nic?"  
  
Nicola blushed. "It could be from Alex." She said with a little  
giggle as she examined the roses blissfully. "He said he would make  
contact... and look! Here's a card."  
  
"That's nice." Sally sat down on her bed. "So what does it say."  
  
Nicola grinned and looked at the writing on the envelope. "To Sa..."   
She blinked. "Sally, they're for _you_." Wide-eyed, Nicola held the   
card.  
  
Sally blinked. "What?" She took the card and opened it. She found  
herself staring at some beautiful copperplate handwriting and a   
familiar name. "Oh... they're from Treize."  
  
Nicola's jaw dropped. "T-Trieze?" She stuttered. "As... as in Treize  
Khushrenada? D-Duke Demail's grandson? The most brilliant and most  
handsome soldier in the Specials?"  
  
"I guess that's the one." Sally said. "No wonder his name was sort  
of familiar." She added thoughtfully.  
  
"SALLY!!" Nicola's scream brought a whole crowd of curious cadets  
to the door. "How can you be SO calm? WHY is Treize Khushrenada  
sending you flowers?"  
  
There was a chorus of gasps from the other girls and Sally felt   
her cheeks flush in annoyance. "We met last night." She said  
and mentally edited out the dance and especially the kiss. She  
could see that the situation was already going to be blown out  
of proportion without her spilling everything.  
  
A babble of questions fell from various lips as the other girls  
interrogated Sally. What had he been wearing? What did he say?   
Was he very gallant? And more importantly... What did the note  
say?  
  
Sally used her superior height to keep the contents of the note  
from their prying eyes. "It's nothing important." She insisted.  
"Yes... he's very handsome and I guess he's gallant... if that  
really matters, but really it wasn't that big a deal!" She glared  
at the others. "Now... please LEAVE ME ALONE!"  
  
In the face of Sally's anger, the other girls backed off and   
filed out, although they all shot Nicola significant looks. It  
was clear that she was expected to spill any details she learnt  
later. Sally flopped down on her bed and sighed. Nicola was   
silent for a moment, staring at the flowers.   
  
"So... are you going?" She asked finally.  
  
Sally blinked. "Going?"  
  
Nicola had the grace to blush faintly. "Well... I saw that he'd  
invited you to lunch today."  
  
Sally groaned and pulled a pillow over her face. "Didn't anyone  
tell you that it's rude to read over people's shoulders?" She  
asked in a muffled voice. There was no answer and Sally sighed  
again. "I don't know." She said. "I'm tempted to say no."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because... well... I don't know if I want to get involved   
with anyone... least of all someone who's so... famous."  
  
Sally pulled the pillow from her face and sat up. She scanned  
the note again. Treize's words were very charming, saying   
how interesting he found their meeting the other night and   
that he would really like to get to know her better. Sally  
shook her head. She had been so rude to him, how could he  
want to meet her again? Still... it seemed a little off to  
just ignore the note after he'd gone to all the trouble. She  
bit her lip, perhaps it would be best to meet him at this  
cafe he'd suggested and then tell him that she wasn't   
interested.  
  
"It's a very fancy place." Nicola said in her ear, making  
Sally jump. "You'll have to dress up."  
  
Sally's lips thinned. "Oh... really."  
  
***  
  
Sally prided herself on being honest and therefore would have  
been lying if she had said she didn't feel an ounce of nerves  
as she approached the elegant French cafe. She fiddled with   
her ponytail and tugged on the edge of her sweater. Suddenly  
her decision to meet Treize, dressed in jeans and a green   
sweater didn't seem such a good idea after all.   
  
"But this is who I am." Sally reminded herself. "And if he   
can't take it then that's definitely a good reason for me not  
to encourage him."   
  
With a determined expression, Sally pushed open the doors to  
the cafe and walked inside. She ignored the surprised looks  
on the faces of the waiters and waitresses and looked around  
for Treize.  
  
He was seated at a table by the window, reading a newspaper.  
He looked up and smiled, although she noticed that his   
eyebrows twitched slightly. He was dressed in a casual, yet  
stylish, navy suit and looked entirely at home in the  
elegant surroundings.  
  
"I'm glad you could make it." He said as she sat down opposite  
him. He looked at her attire and smiled ruefully. "I suppose  
I shouldn't be that surprised..."  
  
"I did mention last night that I wasn't really into dressing  
up." Sally said tartly. One of the waitresses approached and  
Sally ordered a plain coffee before turning back to Treize.  
"Thanks for the roses by the way."  
  
He inclined his head. "I'm happy that you liked them."  
  
"Although I think the sheer amount was a bit... ostentatious."  
Sally added. "You really didn't need to send me an entire  
garden of roses."   
  
"Just showing the depth of my regard, Sally." Treize said   
mildly and she stared at him in disbelief.  
  
"Oh really?" She shook her head. "Treize, I can't understand   
why you want to get to know me better when there are a ton of   
girls who I'd have thought would suit your tastes much better."  
  
"Sally, you barely know me... how can you know what would  
suit my taste?" Treize asked.   
  
Her coffee arrived and Sally sipped it before replying. "Well,  
you're Treize Khushrenada." She said. "You've been born with  
the proverbial silver spoon in your mouth. You must be used to  
associating with people who have a lot more grace and style  
than me."  
  
"I'm surprised at you Sally." Treize said. "You're making  
assumptions based on my birth, assumptions which have no basis  
in fact." He smiled. "Regardless of background I appreciate  
people who interest me... and you _do_ interest me." He leaned  
forward and locked her eyes with his. "Unlike many others of  
my acquaintance, you don't care for my background, it's  
irrelevant to you, and I find this most refreshing."  
  
Sally drew in her breath. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't  
flattered by this." She admitted. "But I think it's only fair to  
tell you that I really only came today to tell you that I'm  
not interested in a relationship."  
  
Treize's eyes flickered slightly and he leaned back, his expression  
unreadable. "I see. Would you mind telling me why?" He smiled  
faintly. "And for the sake of my masculine pride, Sally, please  
don't be too brutal."  
  
Sally blinked, at least he was making a small joke about this.   
She was impressed, other men would probably have been a lot more  
annoyed with her announcement. "Well... no matter how interesting   
you find me and despite the fact that I think you're handsome and   
all, and more intelligent than most guys I've met... I don't think   
we'd suit each other. Also, unlike some girls I know, I didn't  
join the Alliance with the intention of catching a husband. I  
have a goal and I really want to achieve it... which also means   
that I don't really have time for romance." Sally looked   
determined. "Eventually I want to help make some kind of visable   
difference to the world."  
  
"You want to make your mark on the world?" Treize asked quietly  
and Sally grinned.  
  
"In a way, yes... I guess so, doesn't everyone?"  
  
"Oh yes..." Treize's eyes were very intent. "That's my ambition  
as well."  
  
"Don't tell me," Sally quipped. "You want to be King of the   
World?"  
  
Treize was very still for a moment and then he laughed. "Not  
quite." He said. "But Sally, I admire your ambition and drive.  
Not many people have the courage to go for what they want. In   
that way we are alike." He smiled at her. "So I can't agree   
with your comment that we wouldn't suit."  
  
Sally shrugged. "Maybe, but I'm not convinced."  
  
"How can you be so sure when we hardly know each other?" He  
asked. "It's unfair to assume without giving me a chance."  
  
Sally frowned. "But I just told you that I don't have time  
for romance!"  
  
"How about friendship?"  
  
***  
AC 198 Christmas Day  
  
"Merry Christmas, Miss Sally!"  
  
She smiled at the young man standing by the huge Christmas tree  
that dominated the main hall of Lady Une's mansion. "Merry   
Christmas, Quatre."   
  
He held out a beautifully wrapped present. "Is Wufei going to  
be joining us?"   
  
Sally took the gift with a smile and thanked him. "I don't   
know. I did tell him, but he muttered something about not  
believing in it and that he had work to do and so do I!" She  
smiled ruefully. "He's such a workaholic sometimes."  
  
"I resent that remark, woman!"   
  
Both Sally and Quatre turned to see Wufei walking into the   
hall, brushing snow off his shoulders. Sally raised an  
eyebrow.  
  
"So Scrooge decided to join us after all." She smirked.   
  
Wufei looked puzzled. "Who is Scrooge?" He asked and Sally  
shook her head.  
  
"Never mind."  
  
"It's good to see you, Wufei!" Quatre beamed and held out a   
present to the Chinese man. "It wouldn't have been the same  
without you here as well."  
  
"I only came because I hit a dead-end with the leads on the  
arson." Wufei said, accepting the present with grudging   
thanks. He also handed Quatre a small gift which made the  
blond Arabian smile sunnily before he excused himself to   
go and find the others to tell them that everyone had arrived.  
  
Sally frowned once Quatre had left. "A complete dead-end?"   
She asked in surprise. "There's nothing to indicate _who_   
could have done it?"  
  
Wufei shook his head. "All the possible suspects have iron  
clad alibies."   
  
"How... frustrating." Sally sighed. "I guess that means we  
have to go back to square one. Yay." She added sacastically.  
  
Wufei rubbed his chin. "However, we were investigating the   
angle that it was related to Dekim Barton's actions. I was  
wondering if it might not have something to do with either  
Duke Demail or..." He hesistated for a brief moment and   
Sally filled in the end of his sentence.  
  
"Or Treize." She couldn't stop the slight sigh from escaping  
her lips.  
  
Wufei looked at her, searching her face with intent eyes. "I've  
noticed that this incident has been bothering you alot." He  
said. "Do you suspect something?"  
  
"No." Sally said honestly. "I don't have any ideas." She looked  
away, and her eyes fell on a portrait at the far end of the  
room. A portrait of Treize Khrushrenada that had been painted  
when he was just twenty years old. "It's just... it's brought  
up a bunch of memories that I thought I'd left behind." She   
turned back to Wufei and smiled faintly. "But I don't really  
want to explain them yet."  
  
Wufei's lips tightened slightly. "Understood." He said, and   
Sally knew he meant it. Wufei wouldn't pry if she didn't want  
to explain just yet. "The only thing I ask..." He said. "Is  
that you tell me if this is going to affect your work."  
  
Sally nodded. "I will Wufei, I promise." She held out her  
hand. "Now why don't we go and enjoy this Christmas party?"  
  
He snorted and the tension in the atmosphere disappeared. "We  
can try." But he took her hand anyway.  
  
Sally laughed. "You really are a Scrooge!" She teased.  
  
***  
AC 191  
  
//"I don't believe you, Sally!" Nicola cried. "How can you say  
that you and Treize are just friends when you've been spending  
so much time with him?"  
  
"Because that's just what we are." Sally said patiently.   
  
"But for the past two weeks you've been going out to dinner...   
to movies... walks in the park... hasn't he...?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Not even..."  
  
"No."  
  
"So you haven't..."  
  
"No!" Sally looked at Nicola in irritation. "Is it so  
unbelievable that we could just be friends?"  
  
"Yes!" Nicola argued.//  
  
Sally shook her head as she recalled the arguement she'd had with   
Nicola before she had left the dorm. But it wasn't only Nicola  
who didn't believe that Sally hadn't 'done' anything with Treize.  
They just couldn't conceive the idea that Sally could just be friends  
with their prize catch. She grinned, she'd have to tell Treize about  
this one... he'd probably find it quite amusing.   
  
He did. In fact he laughed quite loudly when she gave him a verbatim  
account of her arguement with Nicola.   
  
"I fear I'm doing your reputation a diservice, Sally." He said  
finally.   
  
Sally wrinkled her nose and stirred her coffee. "I don't care what  
they think." She said. "It's my life and what really matters is   
how I see it!" She looked at him and smiled. "I'm not about to  
abandon a decent friendship just because of a load of gossip."  
  
Treize smiled back at her. "That's good to know." His eyes turned  
serious. "After all, I think would miss you and your barbed comments."  
  
An unexpected heat rose up within Sally, one which she quickly  
quelled. Nicola's remarks were really getting to her, she decided  
and quickly changed the subject. "So did you enjoy the function  
you attended last night?"  
  
Treize shot her a searching look at the sudden change, but said  
nothing and began to tell her some anecdotes about the party Duke  
Demail had thrown.   
  
Sally was only half-listening. She was feeling mildly disturbed about  
the feelings that had ran through her earlier and Treize's expression  
when he had said he would miss her. She recalled a conversation that  
they had had a few days earlier when she had come to his apartment  
and heard the end of a telephone conversation.   
  
//Sally knocked sharply on the door of Treize's apartment and then  
pushed open the door. He turned and smiled tightly at her and she  
noticed that he was on the phone.   
  
"No... no, Leia." He said and she could hear a note of frustration  
in his urban voice. "It just won't work... no... I'm sorry." She  
watched as he rubbed his temples and closed his eyes. "I can't give  
you what you want." He said firmly. "Farewell, Leia."  
  
"Old girlfriend?" Sally asked bluntly once he had hung up the phone.  
  
He looked at her blankly for a moment, as if he had almost forgotten  
she was there and then he sighed. "Yes... I made a mistake getting   
involved with her." He admitted. "Her family..."  
  
"I thought you said family background wasn't so important to you."  
Sally said a little sharply.  
  
Treize shook his head. "It's not that. It's the _ambition_ of her  
family that concerns me. Beside which... Leia and I... we weren't  
suited."  
  
He wouldn't say anything more and she didn't press him. After all,  
it wasn't really any of her business.//  
  
*But I was curious* Sally admitted to herself now as she leaned her  
chin on her hands and looked at Treize while he talked. *And that's  
disturbing... I shouldn't _care_ so much.* She wondered if she was  
falling under Treize's spell, just like so many other women. She  
looked at him. He was charming, intelligent and handsome... what was  
not to like? And to be perfectly candid, if she was going to get  
romantically involved with anyone then why not him? Sally tilted her  
head and narrowed her eyes, admiring the light in his blue eyes and  
the way the light made his hair look like...   
  
"Sally?" Treize's voice broke into her musings and she straightened.  
  
"Yes?" Sally blinked.  
  
"You had the oddest look on your face." He said. "What were you   
thinking about."  
  
"Your hair." Sally said promptly, making him raise an eyebrow.   
"Your hair just reminded me of milk chocolate... and now I really  
want some."  
  
Treize said nothing but merely indicated to waitress. When she   
came over he smiled. "Could you bring us the dessert menu?" He  
asked. "The lady needs something sweet to eat, before she climbs  
over the table and starts chewing on my hair."  
  
Sally's eyes widened. "_Treize_!" She said, slightly embarrassed  
as the startled waitress took off, and he smiled teasingly at her.   
She laughed and shook her head. "Okay... so maybe I deserved that!"  
  
"Oh you did." He said. "Now... what were you really thinking?"  
  
Sally didn't want to say. Not now, not yet. "Nothing special,"   
she said. "But I did want to tell you that I won't be able to   
meet you for a while. My exam is in four days... and I really   
want to study without distractions."  
  
"Heaven forbid that I become a distraction." Treize said. "I do  
understand, Sally... only..." He reached out and took her hand.  
"Let me know as soon as the exam is over."  
  
Sally looked down at his hand covering hers. "Hmmm..." She said  
carelessly. "I guess I'll consider that."  
  
***  
  
tbc  
  



	3. Part 3

  
Treize talks about Leia  
And in AC199 - Sally receives a mysterious package.  
  
***  
  
Remembrance  
by Orla  
  
Warnings: None... yet.  
Pairings: 13+SP, 5+SP??  
  
***  
  
Authors note: Treize's meeting with Leia Barton is shown in Heero's Episode Zero story. There's not much to indicate what sort of person Leia was, so I've made it up to fit in with this fic and my Leia Barton shouldn't be taken as canon! Also, I've always believe that  
Treize was never told about Mariemaya, which is why she is not mentioned in this fic.  
  
Disclaimer: The Gundam Wing characters do not belong to me,  
I am only borrowing them for a short while and promise  
to return them in one piece.  
  
//...// indicate flashbacks  
  
#...# indicate song lyrics  
Excerpts of 'Farewell Love' are copyright to Clannad   
(the song is from their 'Lore' CD)  
  
***  
  
Part Three  
  
***  
AC 198: December 30  
  
"Une's calling a halt to the investigation." Sally announced   
as she walked into the office that she and Wufei shared.  
  
He looked up, a slight creased between his brows the only   
evidence of his puzzlement. "For what reason?"  
  
Sally flopped down in a chair opposite him. "Because so far   
all of our possible leads have turned into dead ends. And   
Une thinks that now we can put the arson down to an isolated   
incident. She'll get some people to keep an eye on places,   
but otherwise..."  
  
"We're off the case." Wufei grimaced slightly. He then looked  
sharply at his partner. "And you agreed with her?"  
  
Sally stared out of the window with her arms folded. It was   
a fine day and the ground gleamed whitely under a thin blanket   
of snow which made everything look so clean. She drew in a   
deep breath and let it out slowly.   
  
"I do... to some extent." She admitted. "Nothing else has   
happened and I would have thought that someone who really had   
a grudge against Dekim, Dermail or... Treize... would have   
made another move by now."  
  
"Maybe." Wufei said grudgingly and Sally smiled. He hated to   
let go of something. She looked over at him. "Don't be so   
down 'Fei, at least this gives us a chance to enjoy New Year's   
Eve!"  
  
He snorted. "Some compensation! Christmas Day was bad enough...  
spending it with that horde... including Maxwell. What the   
hell was in that egg-nog of his?"  
  
Sally chuckled. "I have no idea, but it certainly made you...  
er... loosen up!"  
  
Wufei shot her a suspicious look. "You swore that I didn't do   
anything strange."  
  
"Well, you didn't..." Sally's eyes sparkled. "Nothing _that_  
strange anyway."  
  
He glared at her. "Fine. As soon as I've handed in this report  
to Une, we're going to the cafe and I'll buy the coffees while   
you tell me _exactly_ what happened this time!" He stomped out   
of the room, waving his report and muttering under his breath.  
  
Sally grinned. Wufei would be a little annoyed, and maybe a   
bit embarrassed, when she told him that the only "strange"   
thing he had down was to compliment her highly and tell her   
how much he cared about her while he was drunk.   
  
She sighed and idly fiddled with the controls of the radio on   
Wufei's desk. Classical Chinese music blared out for a moment   
before Sally made a face and changed the station.   
  
"It's a poor deal when I have to get him drunk before he  
says something complimentary..." She muttered as some celtic  
music washed over her. She didn't really mind though, she   
understood Wufei well enough to know that, drunk or sober,  
his words were never empty. And that knowledge alone made her  
feel warm.  
  
"Complete opposite to Treize..." She murmured, staring at the  
ceiling. "That man was as smooth as glass."  
  
#Secrets I left behind for a while now#  
  
Sally frowned slightly as she caught the words of the song  
coming from the radio. The smooth, delicate music tugging  
at her feelings and memories.  
  
#Change the pictures...  
Change the pages...  
It matters little how I knew you...#  
  
Why was it that every second thing she saw or heard was   
reminding her of Treize these days? And worse, making   
her... someone who saw angst as a waste of time... feel  
regret?  
  
#Voices of memory, I hear you.  
A book of stories told... stories old  
Dreams of good times...  
Dreams of sad times...  
And foolish moments we will long share.#  
  
Sally sat up and pinched the bridge of her nose, stopping  
the tears that prickled her eyelids. Really, it was stupid  
to be acting so sentimental.   
  
*Maybe it's because I banished everything so quickly,* She  
mused. *I never really did analyse my feelings in the end.*  
  
#Twilight is creeping on the hillsides  
The candle's burning bright... burning bright  
Silent feelings  
Silent my eyes  
I wonder how much will always stay#  
  
She leaned over and sharply shut off the radio. It was a good  
thing that Une had pulled them off the investigation she  
decided. *I was getting too moody for my own good.* Sally's  
eyes brightened as she heard Wufei's steps approaching the   
door. And what better way to banish moodiness than to tease   
your excitable partner?  
  
***  
AC 191  
  
"Well?" Nicola virtually leapt on Sally as the other girl   
walked out of the examination room.  
  
Sally gave Nicola a huge grin and flashed her the thumbs up.  
  
"It went VERY well." She said. "I _know_ I passed that...   
possibly even well enough to get near one hundred percent!"  
  
"I wish I had your confidence." Nicola sighed. She nudged  
Sally in the ribs and handed over Sally's mobile phone.   
"Here... so... are you going to contact you-know-who now?"  
  
Sally shot her friend a dirty look. "I wish you'd stop trying  
to make my friendship with Treize Khushrenada to be more than  
it is." Sally looked at the phone. "But in answer to your   
question, yes... I will. But not by phone."  
  
"Oh yes... I forgot that you've been to his apartment." Nicola  
sighed. "And you selfishly refuse to tell me anything about it!"  
  
"That's because there's nothing to tell."   
  
"Suuuuuure."  
  
Sally shook her head as she walked away from Nicola. Truth to  
tell, she had missed her meetings with Treize over the past   
four days, but she was damned if she was going to let the other  
girls know.   
  
Treize was in his apartment when Sally knocked on the door   
and he smiled when he saw her.   
  
"I take it you did well." He said, ushering her inside. "If   
I'm to judge by that sparkle in your eyes."  
  
"Well, it's too early to be sure." Sally said. "The results   
won't be up for another four days, but... yes, I think I did  
pretty well." She sat down on the deep blue couch and smiled   
up at him.   
  
"Glad to hear it." Treize murmured. "Coffee?"  
  
"What? No champagne?" Sally asked, eyes wide.  
  
Treize chuckled. "Oddly enough I don't have any to hand.   
Besides, the champagne should wait until we get your results.  
  
"Ah well, it that case some good coffee is a perfectly  
acceptable substitute." Sally said and Treize bowed.  
  
"I'm so glad that the lady is happy." He went into the   
kitchen and Sally leaned back on the couch. Treize's   
apartment was the epitome of style. Elegantly and tasteful  
furnished, the place spoke of money and power without  
resorting to gaudiness. Sally admitted that Treize's place  
made her feel alot more comfortable than she expected, in  
fact she was almost too comfortable...  
  
The vid-phone shrilled loudly and Sally jumped. She twisted  
around and looked at it. ringing on Treize's desk.   
  
"Sally? Can you answer that?" Treize called from the kitchen.  
  
"Well..." Sally hesitated briefly and then shrugged. All she   
had to do was tell whoever it was that Treize was busy and  
take a message. She got up and activated the phone.  
  
"Treize! I... who are YOU?" The pretty blond woman on the   
screen stared at Sally in surprise.  
  
Sally looked calmly back. "I'm sorry, but Treize isn't   
available right now, can I..."  
  
"So it's _you_! You're the one!" The woman's face flushed  
with anger. "It's your fault that he's not listening to  
me!"  
  
"Ah... you would be Leia I take it." Sally half-turned to  
call for Treize, but found him already beside her. "Good,  
I think you should take this." She said firmly and made to  
retreat, but Treize's hand clamped down tightly on her   
wrist, making escape impossible. He looked at Leia's face   
on the screen, his brows drawing together.   
  
"Treize!" She cried. "How could you? How could you take up  
with... that?"   
  
Sally blinked.  
  
"Leia, I thought I explained things last time." He said  
coolly. "Two years ago we parted most amicably, agreeing   
that we didn't suit, and now... suddenly you want to resume  
our relationship. I have told you that it would be a bad idea  
and there is no need for these hysterics. And..." He added   
grimly. "I won't permit you slur this lady."  
  
Sally, busy trying to release herself from Treize's grip,  
paused and stared at him.   
  
"But..." Leia's eyes were wide. "But..."  
  
Treize sighed slightly. "Let it go Leia, I will not become  
a pawn for your family." He shut off the connection before  
Leia could say other word.   
  
Sally thumped Treize in the chest, rocking him back and   
causing him to stare at her. "Sally..."  
  
"Don't do that to me again!" She snapped. "Deal with your  
romantic messes without me next time!"   
  
"Sally..." Treize released her wrist and placed his hands on  
her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "I'm sorry, I   
didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but I thought it  
was best to have you beside me then."  
  
"You've given her the wrong idea, you know." Sally said. "Now  
she's going to think I'm your new girlfriend."  
  
"Would that be so bad?" Treize asked softly, his royal blue eyes  
looking intently at her face. "I would be lying if I denied   
that I wanted more from you than just friendship, Sally."  
  
Sally said nothing, she wasn't sure if she really trusted   
herself to speak. She was still angry, but at the same time  
she was uncomfortably aware that her brain and body were not   
cooperating right now. Treize pulled her closer, a slight   
smile on his face as he grazed his lips along her cheek, moving  
towards her mouth.  
  
"Why did you break up with Leia?" Sally asked suddenly, halting  
his progress.  
  
Treize pulled back. "Is it that important?"  
  
"Yes." Sally said bluntly, looking directly into his eyes. "It's  
very important."  
  
Treize drew in a deep breath and let it out. He released Sally   
and paced away from her, before pausing and seating himself on  
the couch. "Very well then..." He indicated that she should sit  
beside him and waited until Sally was seated comfortable before  
he continued.  
  
"I met Leia when I was injured defending a new colony from some  
terrorist activity a couple of years ago. She was a nurse at the workers hospital and took care of me." Treize smiled slightly. "I suppose the only excuse I can give for getting involved with her was that I was young and she was very pretty, very charming."  
  
"And when you recovered you realised that that wasn't enough?"  
Sally asked.  
  
Treize's lips twisted ruefully. "Not so quickly." He admitted.  
"I lingered near her for a while after I recovered. However,  
I gradually became aware that there were too many differences  
between us... as Leia seemed to be aware of the same thing. So  
we decided to part."  
  
Sally frowned. "But... then why is she trying to get you back?  
You mentioned something about her family, but I don't quite..."  
  
"Leia's father is Dekim Barton." Treize explained. He watched  
Sally's face as she struggled to remember the name. "He's very  
big on the colonies... and very ambitious. It would be to his  
advantage to tie me to his daughter and use my family to   
advance himself." Treize frowned slightly. "And Leia was   
always easily swayed by her father and brother."  
  
Sally looked at her hands. "I can't fault your decision on   
those grounds." She said eventually. "And I'm glad you  
agreed to tell me why you broke up with Leia, Treize." She  
bowed her head, her loose hair falling forward to hide her  
face. "I've seen what happens when two people ignore the  
warning signs that their relationship won't work..."  
  
Treize's hands brushed back Sally's hair and he caressed her  
cheek, tugging at her chin to get her to look at him.   
"Care to tell me?" He asked softly.  
  
Sally smiled and gently removed his hands from her face. Her   
expression was slightly sad as she shook her head. "Not  
yet."  
  
***  
AC 199 - January 1st  
  
Sally opened her eyes and instantly regretted it. "Ow..." She  
moaned softly, lifting one hand to her pounding head. "Okay...  
drinking that many cocktails and all those glasses of   
champagne was a BIG mistake." She mumbled.  
  
After a few minutes of lying in bed and wishing to die, Sally  
attempted to open her eyes again. The light stabbed her head,  
but it was a bit more bearable and she decided to attempt the  
hazardous task of actually sitting up.   
  
The next thing Sally knew, she was lying on the floor, looking   
at her floorboards and her head was whirling. "Okay... that was   
nasty..."  
  
There was a groan from the next room and Sally blinked. There  
wasn't an echo in her apartment, was there? She reached up and  
fumbled for the edge of her bed, pulling herself upright and  
sternly telling her rebellious head and stomach to behave.  
There was a glass of water on her bedside table and she gulped  
all of the lukewarm water down in a effort to ease her dry  
throat.   
  
There was another groan from the next room, this time Sally  
could make out some muttered Chinese swearwords. She grinned  
slightly. Now she remembered... Wufei had imbibed about as   
much alcohol as she had during last nights New Year's party.  
He was so drunk that she hadn't been sure if he was capable of  
getting back to his apartment safely, so Sally had shoved him  
on her couch for the night.  
  
She managed to get up and stumbled to the living room. Wufei  
was huddled under a mound blankets and curses were emitting from  
the mound. Sally smirked despite her own aching head and went   
to the kitchen. She knew a few good remedies for hangovers and  
now seemed like a good time to put them together.  
  
Wufei snarled at her when she pulled the blankets back. "Leave  
me alone, woman!"  
  
"Oh shut up, Wufei and drink this." Sally snarled back and   
thrust a glass under his nose.  
  
"What is this junk?" He asked, wrinkling his nose.  
  
"Tomato juice, some spices and a bit of sauerkraut juice." She  
said as he suspiciously sipped it.  
  
Wufei spluttered. "What?"  
  
"It replaces lost nutrients." Sally explained, sipping her own  
glass of the mixture. "And when you've drunk that, eat this..."  
She thrust a persimmon at him. "It'll relieve your headache."  
  
Wufei looked a little disbelieving, but he drank the mixture  
and started to nibble on the persimmon. Sally WAS medically  
trained after all... He did, however, stare disbelievingly at  
her when she ran her fingers through her hair and pulled it in  
clumps.   
  
"It stimulates the scalp." Sally explained. "And helps relieve  
headaches too. I can show you..." She reached out, but Wufei   
back away.  
  
"I'll stick with the persimmon." He said stiffly and Sally shrugged.  
  
"Suit yourself."  
  
There was a loud rap at the door and they both winced in perfect  
synchronization. Sally got up and opened the door.  
  
"Yes...?" She frowned. There was no one there... only a long   
package at her feet. After glancing down the corridor, Sally  
crouched down and examined the package.   
  
Whatever it was, it had been roughly wrapped in brown paper and  
was tied with rough string. Sally gingerly picked it up and  
ran her fingers along the length. It was unlikely that anyone  
would be trying to blow her up, but still...  
  
"What is it?" Wufei asked from behind her and Sally shook her  
head.   
  
"I have no idea." She said bringing the package inside. "I didn't  
see anyone." She got some scissors and some latex gloves, slipping  
them on before snipping the string carefully. She unwrapped the   
paper and then leaned back, staring at the contents of the package  
in consternation.  
  
"Why," said Wufei, looking at puzzled as she. "Would anyone send  
you an old Alliance rifle... and some paint pellets?"  
  
***  
  
TBC  
  
  
  
  



	4. Part 4

***  
  
Remembrance  
by Orla  
  
Warnings: None... yet.  
Pairings: 13+SP, 5+SP??  
  
***  
  
Disclaimer: The Gundam Wing characters do not belong to me,  
I am only borrowing them for a short while and promise  
to return them in one piece.  
  
//...// indicate flashbacks  
  
***  
AC 191  
  
"And Archer, Emerson, Hunter, Kudo, Mori, Parrish, Po, Suoh  
are assigned to Instructor Khushrenada's team."  
  
Sally stood rigid with shock. Only her training prevented   
her astonishment and fury from showing openly on her face.   
However, the flash of fire in her blue eyes revealed her   
inner feelings. She could almost see the smirk on Nicola's   
face and felt several pairs of eyes boring into her back.   
There was no way that they'd believe her relationship with   
Treize was innocuous now. And what made matters worse was   
that as soon as the announcement about the training day with   
the Specials had come through, Nicola had predicted that Sally   
would be on Treize's team.   
  
Sally glanced at Treize who was standing on the podium with  
the other instructors and high ranking officers of the   
Alliance and the Specials. He was dressed in the simplier   
version of the Specials uniform as he would be actively   
involved in the exercise, only a few extra trimmings   
distinguishing him from the cadets. His eyes met hers at   
this point and the faintest of smiles touched his lips.   
Sally's eyes narrowed. If he had planned this...  
  
"I _knew_ you would be part of his team!" Nicola crowed after  
they had been dismissed and sent to get their weapons. She   
winked as she handed over Sally's rifle.  
  
Sally glowered at her friend and almost snatched the rifle.   
"I doubt he had anything to do with the assignments." She   
said hotly. "And believe me, I'd rather be in _anyone_ else's   
team right now!"  
  
Nicola looked at her archly. "Uh-huh... so you say." She grinned.  
"But think of the romance... you and he... back to back... a   
desperate struggle..."  
  
"With paint pellets?" Sally shook her head at Nicola's fancies.   
"Getting splattered with paint isn't very life threatening Nic."  
  
"Unless you're hit... _just_ so." Nicola raised her rifle and   
pointed it at Sally's eyes. "Maybe you wouldn't die, but you'd  
probably never see again."  
  
Sally frowned slightly and pushed the end of Nicola's rifle   
away from her face. "Don't play around like that," she chided.   
"It might be safer to use paint pellets, but silly moves could   
still hurt people."  
  
"Who said I was playing?" Nicola's voice was low and Sally   
looked at her sharply, only to see the other girl making a face   
at her. "Too bad we're not on the same team." Nicola said with   
a grin. "Between your brains and my sharp-shooting we'd cream   
the opposition!"  
  
"Most likely," Sally agreed. "Well, I'll just have to make sure  
that I 'kill' you before you get me."  
  
"Don't be so sure." Nicola said jauntily as she sauntered   
off to join her own team.  
  
"'Cream the opposition'?" A well known voice murmured in   
Sally's ear and she turned to see Treize standing behind her.  
  
"Absolutely." Sally said firmly. "Even the OZ instructors who  
like to manipulate their friends."  
  
Treize's eyebrows went up. "Are you suggesting that I   
deliberately organised things so that you would be on my   
team?"  
  
"The thought had passed through my mind." Sally admitted.  
  
"Believe me, Sally." Treize said, placing a hand on her   
shoulder. "I had nothing to do with the allocations, however..."   
He smiled. "I count myself lucky that you're with me." The   
caress of his voice matched the light touch of his fingers   
as he lightly ran his fingers down her arm before moving  
his hand away.  
  
"You are such a flatterer." Sally said lightly, controlling   
the shiver that ran through her as they walked towards the   
other members of the team. "It makes me wonder if you truly   
mean the things you say."  
  
"When something is very important to me then I'm always   
sincere." Treize replied shooting her a hard, significant  
glance before moving ahead.  
  
His words and glance remained uppermost in Sally's mind as  
the exercise began. She was angry at herself for allowing   
Treize to bother her so much. *I promised myself that I  
wouldn't think about it until after the exam results...*   
She grumbled inwardly, following Emerson and Suoh, *And I  
really can't let myself get distracted now...* She dropped  
to the ground with the others as gunfire erupted over her  
head. *Not when I'm required to be alert so we can win this  
thing!*   
  
Paint splattered the trees and the bushes around her, and Sally  
crawled on her belly to cover, pushing all thoughts of Treize completely out of her head. She saw Emerson get to his  
feet and fire, then reel back as a pellet impacted on his  
chest. He sat down on his rump with a curse, an expression  
of chargin on his handsome face. Sally smiled slighty and   
shook her head. Emerson's ego was a bit large, getting taken  
down like this would make a nice dent in it.   
  
Suoh rolled over until he was next to her. "Hey Sal." He said  
breathlessly, his broad face smeared with dirt. "I think  
there's only on group on the left. Wanna take 'em?"  
  
"Absolutely." Sally said and indicated silently that she  
would move first. Max nodded and shifted into a better  
position to cover her if need be.  
  
She edged along until she could move up and still be   
concealed by a large tree. Looking cautiously around   
the tree, Sally saw two wary Specials cadets with green   
armbands standing back to back in the clearing. Judging the  
situation quickly, Sally determined that two quick shots   
would take care of them, especially as they were looking   
in completely the wrong direction. Silently she raised her  
rifle and targeted them, pulling the trigger with quick  
precision.  
  
There was a dull click from the rifle and nothing more.   
Sally's eyes widened and then she frowned, moving back to   
crouch down in the undergrowth again. She stared at her   
rifle in consternation. Why wasn't it working?   
  
"I heard it too..." She heard one of the Specials say and   
she froze. *Oh Shit...*  
  
There was the sound of two loud reports and the Specials yelped.  
Sally looked up and saw Suoh standing over her. He grinned   
down at her. "Having some problems, Sal?"  
  
She got to her feet and showed him her rifle. "Somehow it's  
got stuck." She said and then checked it again. "No...   
worse... it looks like everything's completely stuffed."  
  
"Odd..." Max tapped her shoulder. "Look, we'd better not  
hang around here. Those guys might have had back-up nearby."  
  
"True." Sally agreed and followed him. As they pushed through  
the undergrowth, she looked at her useless rifle again. She  
had a nagging sense that this had not been a mere accident,  
but she couldn't figure out who would want to sabotage her.  
Unless... unless it was someone who was jealous of her  
relationship with Treize. Certainly several of the other  
female cadets had made scathing remarks lately, but it still  
seemed unlikely that anyone would go to such lengths just  
because they were jealous.  
  
Suddenly there was a burst of fire from the left and   
paint splattered on the bushes around them. Sally dropped  
to the ground, pulling Suoh with her. Suoh swore and   
Sally saw the bright splatter of yellow paint marking  
his shoulder. He grimaced. "Fuck..."  
  
Sally patted him sympathetically on the shoulder and   
then glanced at his rifle. "Max, I'll..."  
  
"No good Sal, I'm out." He whispered and she bit her lip.  
  
"Damn... and Emerson's is too far away... Then I'd better   
go before moving quickly..." She flashed him a brief smile   
before moving quickly away, crouched almost double.   
  
More shots sounded close behind her and Sally hissed between  
her teeth. Whoever was targeting her was a good student, and  
a good marksman. With only her dud rifle in her possession,   
Sally knew her chances of winning at this point was almost nil.   
  
"Why I hate these type of exercises..." Sally muttered under  
her breath. "Reason number 56..."  
  
She slid under some more bushes and then moved cautiously to   
the base of a huge tree. Sitting up slowly, she pressed her   
back to the hard trunk and edged herself up. There was a   
rustling sound of bushes being disturbed in front of her and   
the thick growth parted. Sally's eyes widened. Could they have   
sneaked around to find her?  
  
Treize Khushrenada... looking impossibly immaculate for a   
man who had just emerged from the undergrowth, looked  
at Sally in brief surprise. He didn't remain distracted for   
long though, his gaze flashing to a point beyond Sally,  
he raised his elegant silver pistol and fired two shots   
in quick sucession.   
  
A pair of moans indicated that he had hit his targets  
and Sally relaxed her death grip on her useless rifle  
Two women emerged, bright paint marking their stomachs,  
their faces glum. They were both Alliance cadets and in   
Sally's class. Their expressions brightened when they  
saw Treize, clearly it was something good to be shot by  
the handsome star of the Specials. Then they saw Sally  
and with a sinking heart she saw them both smirk knowingly.  
  
"Ah well..." said one. "I guess we shouldn't be surprised."  
  
"See you when you come out a winner, Sally, in more ways   
than one." said the other with a grin and a wink, and Sally   
gritted her teeth.  
  
As they walked away she wanted to run after them, tell them  
how wrong they were, that she would have fired on them  
herself if she could have. But after loftily claiming to  
Treize that she cared nothing for the opinions of others  
she couldn't... and it was not like they would believe her  
either.  
  
Sally looked back at Treize and saw that he was gazing at   
her with a quizzical expression. "Why," he asked finally.  
"Did you not fire on them yourself?"  
  
Sally held out her rifle. "Because I couldn't." She explained  
what had happened to her weapon and Treize frowned.  
  
"I'll be speaking to people about this." He said sternly.   
"All weapons should have been properly checked before the  
exercise." He reached into his jacket and pulled out another  
silver pistol. "In the meantime, take this."  
  
Sally half reached for it and then paused. "No." She said  
with a small sigh. "I don't think I should do that."  
  
Treize walked up to her, until he was only a few inches away.  
"I thought you didn't care for the opinions of others." He  
said softly.  
  
Sally felt the heat of embarrassment tinge her cheeks red.   
"I don't... usually." She lifted her chin and looked him in  
the eyes. "But when rumours could affect my future career   
_then_ I care!" She waved her hand in the direction that the  
Alliance cadets had gone. "You heard them... if you help me  
now then they will all believe that I couldn't have made it  
alone." She shook her head. "Right now I think the best thing  
would be to let myself get 'shot'."  
  
"But you don't want to do that..." Treize's long fingers  
touched her cheek and he smiled at her. "No, the best thing  
would be for me to take the hit."  
  
Sally batted his hand away. "Will you quit being so gallent?"  
She growled at him. "I can take care of myself."  
  
"Your stubborn nature is part of your charm, Sally, but I   
wish you would..."  
  
Treize was cut off as there was a loud report and they both  
felt something impact on their backs. Startled, they turned  
and found themselves staring at two Specials cadets. The  
wide grins on the cadets' faces turned to expressions of   
alarmed consternation when they saw whom they had fired on.  
  
"I-instructor T-trieze..." stammered one. "I... we... we  
didn't know..."  
  
Treize held up his hand, forstalling further protestations  
of apology. "Don't concern youself, Cadet Nicols." He said  
calmly. "It was my own fault for being..." he glanced quickly  
at Sally. "Distracted."  
  
Sally restrained herself, but only barely, from kicking him.  
*Wonderful,* she thought sourly. *That's going to do wonders  
for quelling any rumours.* She put her hand to her back and  
then looked ruefully at the sticky blue paint on her hand,   
then she smiled as her sense of humour reasserted itself.  
  
The two cadets left quickly and Treize turned to Sally. "I  
believe that it is our cue to bow out now..." He lifted one  
eyebrow. "What is so amusing?"  
  
Sally chuckled. "Your face when we got hit!" She managed to  
gurgle out. "This look of utter disbelief..."  
  
Treize laughed then. "Not that _your_ expression was much  
different!" He said. His eyes gleamed and he swept her an  
elegant bow, then straightened and offered her his arm.  
  
"Would the lady like to quit the battlefield?"  
  
Sally hesitated. Walking out on Treize's arm was not going  
to quell rumours, but then again...  
  
"Screw them." She muttered and took his arm.  
  
Treize smiled. "An admirable, if uncouth, sentiment."  
  
***  
  
Later in the evening, Sally sat at her desk, chewing on the  
end of her pen and thinking about the events of the day.   
Nicola lay on her bed in a huffy silence, pretending to  
read, but occasionally shooting Sally little glares. She  
was annoyed with Sally for refusing to say anything about   
what happened between her and Treize. Even the pleasure of  
Nicola's team winning the exercise wasn't enough to pull her  
out of her sulks.  
  
Sally sighed softly. The thing that really bothered her was  
that no one had a proper explanation as to _why_ her rifle  
hadn't worked. Her instinct still insisted that it was a   
deliberate sabotage, but offered no solutions as to who was  
the perpetrator. She glanced sideways at Nicola. Could it  
be...?  
  
There was a sharp knock at the door which startled both girls  
out of their thoughts. They stood as their section commander  
entered. He barely glanced at Nicola, his gaze going to Sally  
almost immediately. There was a hint of regret in his stern  
face and Sally's heart skipped a beat. Surely it didn't have  
anything to do with Treize?  
  
"Cadet Po, I have some unfortunate news regarding your Medical  
exam." he said without preamble and Sally's eyes widened.  
  
"Sir?" *Did I fail? Did I fail _badly_?*  
  
He cleared his thought and looked away for a moment, almost as  
if he was embarrassed to meet her eyes. "We have just been  
informed that... six of the exam papers have... gone missing."  
  
Sally's breath quickened, she could almost anticipate his next  
words.  
  
"And yours was one of them, Cadet Po."  
  
Sally closed her eyes briefly as a feeling akin to pain stabbed   
at her. After all the work she had put into that exam...  
  
"What are my options, sir?" She asked, her voice trembling on  
the edge of rage.  
  
"You can take the exam again." He said. "Tomorrow morning at  
0600 hours so that it can be marked and the results posted  
along with the others as originally planned."  
  
Nicola gasped and Sally swallowed. It was quite late now, she  
wouldn't have any time to prepare, but what else could she do?  
  
"I'll take the exam again." Sally said firmly.  
  
***  
AC199: January  
  
"Sally!" One of the security guards entered the main office,   
holding a package out to her. "Got a little mystery here  
for you."  
  
"Really?" Sally grinned and took the package. "I seem to be  
getting quite a few of those lately." She turned it over in  
her hands, noting the small size, the plain brown paper and  
her name printed in bold letters on the cover along with  
the address of Preventers HQ. "No return address, hmm? Somehow  
I'm not that surprised."  
  
"Well, whatever it is, it's safe." The guard assured her. "We  
did a scan and it's only paper in there." He turned and walked  
away. "Have fun with your mystery, Sally."  
  
"Thanks." Sally said drily. Picking up some scissors, she   
carefully cut the package open and reached inside. Her  
faintly amused expression turned to shock when she drew out  
the contents. "What the hell?"  
  
Wufei chose this moment to walk in. He opened his mouth to  
greet Sally but shut it quickly when he saw her face. "Sally?"  
  
She looked up at him, her hands were trembling slightly as she  
held out the sheaf of papers. He looked at the top and saw a   
familiar name and a date. "Your exam paper from AC191?" He  
frowned. "Why is this concerning you so, Woman?"  
  
"Because this exam went missing!" She said, rubbing her forehead.  
"I had to retake it at the last minute. Now someone's sent me  
the original..."  
  
"It's you." Wufei said quietly. She looked at his face and   
his onyx eyes regarded her with a burning intensity. "The arson  
at Dermail's mansion, the rifle and now this... someone wants   
to get your attention." He leaned forward. "Who are they, Sally?  
And why are they doing this?"  
  
Sally averted her face and clutched the paper to her chest. "I  
don't know who it is... not exactly." She said. "And as for why..."  
Sally stood abruptly and moved away from Wufei. "Right now I can't  
tell you."  
  
"Can't or won't?" Wufei asked harshly.  
  
"Both." Sally answered. She looked at the exam in her hands once   
more and at the other piece of paper she had concealled from   
him. *But I do need to talk to Une...*  
  
***  
AC 191  
  
Sally rubbed her arms and breathed in deeply, inhaling the  
scent of the trees around her and the water lapping near her  
feet. She wasn't supposed to be out of barracks at this time  
of night, but sleep was eluding her and a walk in the nearby  
park seemed like a good idea to clear her aching head.   
  
//You're angry aren't you?" Nicola asked carefully as soon as  
the door closed behind the section commander.  
  
"What a moronic question, Nicola." Sally snapped. "Of course   
I'm angry! It's taking every ounce of self-control I have not  
to go and rip the people at the examination centre to tiny,  
quivering shreds!"//  
  
Sally swallowed. Her rage had subsided somewhat, but enough   
still burned within her to bring those murderous thoughts  
back to the surface. The sheer injustice of the situation felt  
like a slap in the face. She had no choice but to take the exam,  
her academic records spoke well, but it wasn't enough and   
she had no one in her family who was prepared to back her   
and appeal. Not like some of the others.   
  
"A lack of sleep before the exam won't help you much."   
  
Sally's eyes widened briefly, but she didn't turn around.   
"How did you find me here, Treize?" She asked, staring out   
across the lake. "Do you have some sort of ESP that I don't   
know about?"  
  
"Unfortunately, no." He replied. "I was called out to deal   
with a... situation... and was on my way back when I decided to   
take a walk." He put his hands on Sally's shoulders and gently   
turned her to face him. "I heard about what happened, Sally. I'm sorry."  
  
She looked up at him. "Yeah... well, alot of people are sorry."  
She commented with a touch of bitterness in her voice. "But I  
still have to retake the damn exam."  
  
Treize touched her cheek. "I could back you if you'd like to  
appeal." He said.  
  
Sally shook her head. "No! Absolutely not!" She cried putting   
her hands on his chest and pushing him slightly away from her.   
"I've worked so hard for this." Her fingers twisted, bunching the   
fabric of his uniform and her head drooped. "I have to do this   
by myself... My father said I couldn't make it alone, that I   
should have stayed behind in China... I won't let him be right   
and despite that... I told you that I can look after myself!"  
  
His hands covered hers, soothing her agitation by squeezing her  
fingers gently. "I expected you to say something like that."  
Treize said, brushing her forehead with his lips. "But you have   
to understand that I had to offer."  
  
Sally regained some of her humour and smirked. "Because you're   
always the perfect gentleman." She remarked drily looking up  
at him.  
  
"Naturally." Treize smiled. "I have a reputation to maintain,   
and..." He lightly kissed her lips. "A lady to entice."  
  
Sally laughed and broke away, shaking her head. "You are too  
much!"   
  
"And I'd like to be more." Treize's tone was low, seductive  
and he was entirely too tempting, standing there in the uniform  
that he graced so well. Sally felt heat flood through her and  
quickly looked away from him.   
  
"Maybe." She said. "But not now." She gave herself a mental shake,  
recovering her composure and looked back. "Not when I have to get  
up at 0530 to take this bloody exam."  
  
He laughed lightly. "A fair delaying tactic, Sally. However..."  
His expression turned serious. "Inform me of the outcome as soon  
as you hear?"  
  
She nodded. "I promise."  
  
***  
AC199: January  
  
//"I don't like it." Une said flatly. "It's too great a risk."  
Then she sighed and looked at Sally who sat before her. "But   
you'd go anyway, wouldn't you, Sally?"  
  
"Yes." Sally said firmly. "Clearly this is a personal action  
against me... it's not really Preventer business anymore."  
  
"Wrong." Une said sharply. "When someone potentially threatens  
one of my best agents then I consider it to be Preventer business!"  
She frowned. "Go then... but I'm going to have Wufei on standby,"  
she held up her hand before Sally could protest. "I won't tell  
him everything, but he's the best one to back you up if need be."  
  
"Very well." Sally agreed reluctantly.//  
  
Sally pulled the jeep into the parking lot and grimaced as she  
thought of Wufei, on standby and undoubtably stewing in his   
curiousity. *Oh well, I suppose I'll have to tell him the  
story someday... might as well make it sooner rather than  
later.* She sighed and checked her guns, before slipping them   
into place. There had been nothing overtly threatening in the  
message, but clearly she was dealing with someone who had  
odd ideas of how to get her attention.  
  
Sally glanced once more at the message that had come with the  
exam. 'You should have put most of the pieces together by now,  
but come to your old Academy for the final part.' Sally's lips  
thinned and she headed towards her old barracks at a brisk pace.  
  
The whole place was deserted and falling to bits. No one had   
occupied this Academy since OZ destroyed the Alliance. Floorboards  
creaked underneath Sally's boots, despite her efforts to approach  
quietly and she pulled out one of her guns.   
  
Room after room was empty, but somehow she wasn't surprised.   
Finally she reached her old room and paused outside for a moment.  
Taking a deep breath, she kicked open the door and stood in the entrance, gun pointed and ready.   
  
There was a sharp report and her gun was shot out of her hands.  
Sally reached for the other, but a voice drew her to an abrupt  
halt.  
  
"I really wouldn't do that, Sal. I was the best shot in the  
Academy, remember? And I've still retained some of the old tricks."  
  
"Nicola..." Sally breathed.  
  
*** 


	5. Part 5

***  
  
Remembrance  
by Orla  
  
Warnings: Lemon Fresh scene  
Pairings: 13xSP, 5+SP??  
  
***  
  
Disclaimer: The Gundam Wing characters do not belong to me,  
I am only borrowing them for a short while and promise  
to return them in one piece.  
  
***  
AC 199: January  
  
"Nicola..." Sally let out a heavy sigh, the dust motes   
flurrying on the wind of her breath. "I knew it..."  
  
Darkness shrouded the other woman. All Sally could see  
was the vague outline of Nicola's form in the dim light  
of the old dorm. But what light there was glinted on the  
barrel of a gun that was pointed directly at Sally.  
  
"I would have been surprised if the _great_ Sally Po  
hadn't figured it out, after all the clues I've been  
dropping you." Nicola's voice rang out, falsely bright  
and very brittle. "Come on in Sally, we have so much   
to reminicise about!" Her tone hardened. "But come in  
slowly and don't even think about trying to take me."  
  
Sally moved cautiously inside, obeying Nicola's instructions.  
For now she would believe her old classmates boast that she  
was still as good as the old days.   
  
"I have to admit," she said as she walked in with her hands  
in the air. "That while I may have deduced that you were   
the one responsible for the... er... gifts, I still haven't  
figured out _why_ you would want to do this."  
  
"Really?" Nicola sounded pleased. "Sit down in the chair,  
Sally." She ordered the blond woman.  
  
Sally sat down and looked in Nicola's direction, narrowing  
her eyes, trying to see the woman in the shadows. "Well,  
I did think of one reason," she admitted calmly. "But  
it isn't very logical and I can't flatter myself that you  
were..."  
  
"Jealous?" Nicola finished Sally's sentence. "Oh Sally...  
always _so_ modest."  
  
Sally's eyes widened. "Then I'm right?" she asked in   
disbelief. "But to go to such lengths just because you're   
jealous is utterly ridiculous!"  
  
"Does everything have to be logical with you, Sal?" Nicola  
spat out. She moved out of the shadows and stood before   
Sally. Some shards of dying sunlight, reaching through the   
boarded up windows, illuminated her face. Sally couldn't   
hold back the gasp of shock that escaped from her lips.  
  
Nicola had been the most beautiful girl in Sally's year.   
With her satiny brown hair, large blue eyes and perfect   
figure Nicola had always looked like a model from a magazine   
cover. Now the contrast was almost painful to behold. The   
blue eyes were skunken and shadowed, the brown hair sparse   
and ill-kept and Nicola's body was wasted to near nothingness.   
An ugly smile stretched across her thin lips. "I'd apologise   
for my disgusting appearence," she said. "But I don't really   
think you care."  
  
"You're dying." Sally said bluntly.  
  
Nicola glared at her. "You always have to be so blunt,  
don't you? Can't you sugar-coat anything?" She asked bitterly.  
"Oh yes... I'm dying, painfully and slowly dying if  
you must know. But I'd rather you didn't say it out loud."  
  
Sally's eyes narrowed. "When my former classmate   
leads me on a merry chase, for no good reason, and then   
sticks a gun in my face, my diplomatic skills tend to   
take a nose dive!" she snapped.   
  
Nicola's eyes flashed and she stiffened. "I could just  
decide blow your head off right, you know!" she snarled.  
"Watch what you say!"  
  
"If you wanted to just kill me, then you wouldn't  
have staged such a performance," Sally pointed out,  
seemingly unfazed. She looked more closely at Nicola's  
skeletal face and sighed slightly. "You know... you could  
have come to me," she said softly. "I would've helped  
you."  
  
"Yes... I'm sure you would have." Nicola said tightly.  
"But I didn't want _your_ help, Sally!" Her mouth  
twisted and she looked almost savage with rage. "Do  
you have any idea how long I have hated you?" She   
asked.  
  
"Since... I got involved with Treize?" Sally hazarded.  
"I'm guessing that this is the main reason for these  
dramatics."  
  
"Right... and wrong," Nicola said in a tone of satisfaction.  
"Treize is definitely a good proportion of the reason for  
this..." She leaned forward a little. "No, Sally... I  
hated you within a few days of meeting you."  
  
Sally stared at her incredulously. "But... we were classmates,  
_roommates_!" She shook her head. "If this is true, then  
you acting the part of my 'friend' remarkably well!"  
  
"I know!" gloated Nicola. "Maybe I should have been an  
actress."  
  
"For B movies," Sally quipped.   
  
Nicola shrieked in anger and struck out, Sally moved to  
overpower her, but was halted by the lightening-fast  
application of a gun muzzle to her throat.   
  
"I told you I was still fast." Nicola hissed. "Don't  
screw around anymore!" She pressed the gun to Sally's  
throat. "I may have invested alot of time to get you  
here, but part of me is thinking that killing you  
now would make me very happy."  
  
"Why?" Sally asked, looking intently into Nicola's eyes.  
"Why do you hate me?"  
  
Nicola pushed her back down into the chair with her free hand.   
"My family background may not have been good enough to get me  
directly into the Specials, and my father may have been   
disgraced so that he could not enter Romfeller. But I had the   
background and the breeding! I was supposed to be the most   
brilliant cadet in this Academy, to achieve the highest marks   
and to catch the eyes of the Specials so that they would beg   
me to join them! And most importantly... I was expected to   
ally myself with one of the more prominent soldiers." She drew   
in a deep breath and regarded Sally with hate-filled eyes. "But   
then, some little nobody... from rural China... saunters into  
the Academy and steals my rightful place!"  
  
"Oh for... How can you say that _I_ am the one responsible  
for all your woes?" Sally shook her head in disgust. "Nicola,   
I saw your test scores... apart from your small arms skills,   
you know that you didn't have the ability to make the highest   
grade in the Academy. You were an average student... eighty  
percent grades all the time. And to top it all off, you didn't   
even study!"  
  
Nicola pursed her lips. "Okay... maybe you're right." She  
admitted. "Maybe I wouldn't have made the top grade, But..."  
her eyes narrowed to slits. "I still should have been the   
one to catch Treize Khushrenada's eye that night!"   
  
Sally rolled her eyes. "Nicola, you were the one who made  
me go to that ball. You might recall that I didn't _want_  
to go," she shrugged. "In that light, you have no one to  
blame but yourself."  
  
"I made you go, because I wanted to laugh at you," Nicola  
hissed. "Sally Po, the tall tomboy in pretty dress! I  
knew you would look completely out-of-place and you did,"  
She frowned. "But then you met him and..." she wrinkled her  
nose. "I guess he must have liked weird women... considering  
what I heard about Lady Une."  
  
Sally's hands balled into fists. "I can happily sit here and  
let you try to insult me," she said. "But I'm not about to  
allow you to insult a woman who is my friend and whom I   
admire."  
  
"Like you have a choice?" Nicola smirked and hefted the gun  
significantly. "But I don't really have anything against Une,  
so I'll stop. Happy?"   
  
"Thrilled." Sally said flatly.  
  
Nicola glared at her again. "I could never understand it,"   
she said. "What he really saw in you. I was much better   
suited for his world. And yet you seemed to have no idea of  
what an opportunity you had, I thought after that night you  
had it made."  
  
Sally's frowned. "_That_ night?" she asked. "What night?"  
  
"The night after you found out about your results!" Nicola  
yelled in fury and exasperation. "Don't tell me that you  
can't remember!"  
  
"Oh," Sally murmured. "That night, yes... I remember,"  
she smiled slightly. "How could I really forget?"  
  
***  
AC191  
  
Sally opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, listening  
to the rain pounding down outside. For a moment she was   
confused, then she remembered how she had come out of the  
morning's exam and collapsed on her bed, fully clothed and  
exhausted. Rolling onto her side, Sally looked at the clock   
and saw that it was six o'clock. With a startled gasp she sat   
upright.  
  
"I slept that long? The exam results will be posted now!"  
She pulled on her shoes, glancing at her roommates bed.   
"Why didn't Nicola wake me? She knows how badly I want to  
know the results..."  
  
She found the other girl standing in front of the screen in  
the mess hall, staring up at the results. Nicola's expression  
was one of incredulous surprise, her eyes wide and her mouth  
open. Sally approached, feeling a little nervous. Nicola  
turned at the sound of Sally's footsteps and she blinked.  
  
"You... you..." was all she could say and Sally looked at the  
screen, her heart pounding. Was Nicola's shock because Sally  
had failed dreadfully, or...? Sally's eyes raked over the  
board, searching for her number, starting at the bottom and  
moving to the top.   
  
"You passed." Nicola said flatly just as Sally saw her number.  
  
Sally swallowed, her throat was suddenly so dry. "So I see..."  
she whispered. "Oh God... _Ninety-two percent_! In the top  
five!" She grinned at Nicola, barely registering that the   
other girl's face was slightly twisted with emotion.   
  
"Not one hundred though." Nicola said roughly and Sally   
laughed.  
  
"It doesn't matter, it's still enough and much better than   
I expected." Sally felt giddy, like a child with a new toy.   
"It still means that I can choose where I want to go!"  
  
Nicola gave herself a little shake and smiled brightly at   
Sally. "Well, do you want to go out and celebrate?" she asked.   
  
Sally opened her mouth to say yes and then remembered the   
promise she had made. "Later Nicola, later. Right now, there's   
someone I have to tell." She dashed away, running towards the   
exit, waving back at the other girl. "I'll be back soon!"  
  
"Sally! It's raining!" Nicola called. "Aren't you..."  
  
Sally heard nothing more as she ran out into the pouring rain.   
It hardly mattered that she was getting wet, she could barely   
feel it anyway. Relief surged through her, mingling with the  
giddy happiness. *I don't think I realised how worried I was  
about this,* she thought as she ran. *But now it's done...   
it's over and I can finally start doing what I really want   
to do. And that means I finally have to tell him about  
my decision*  
  
She didn't really know how she got to Treize's apartment,   
but the next thing Sally knew she was in the foyer, waiting   
impatiently for the elevator. After what seemed like an age,   
it arrived and the doors swished open. A tall young man with   
long platinum blond hair and wearing large avaitor-style   
sunglasses stepped out, nearly running into Sally.   
  
"Excuse me," he said with a slight bow and she smiled.  
  
"It's okay, it was my fault," she said, brushing past him to  
occupy the elevator he had just left. A part of her excited   
mind noted that he was wearing a high-ranking Specials   
uniform and she also wondered why he was wearing sunglasses  
when it was such a dull day. However she banished these   
thoughts as she exited the elevator and rapped on Treize's   
door.  
  
"Zechs? Is there a... Sally?" Treize stared at her in surprise  
when he opened the door. Almost immediately his surprise   
changed into a pleased expression. "Come in Sally, I'm glad   
to see you. I was beginning to get concerned that I haven't   
heard from you."  
  
"I fell asleep after the exam," Sally said stepping into his   
apartment. "But I just found out the results..." she whirled  
to face him, droplets of water scattering around her. "I  
passed, Treize! I got ninety-two percent!"  
  
"I never had any doubt that you would do well," He said. A  
slight frown creased his forehead. "And while I'm extremely  
pleased that you came to see me... was it necessary to run  
out of the door without even grabbing an umbrella? You're  
soaked Sally."  
  
Sally looked down at herself and laughed a little ruefully.  
"Oh... you're right." She said. "Oh well, it's only water,  
it won't... aaaachoo!" She sneezed suddenly. "Ugh... maybe  
this wasn't a bright idea."  
  
There was a soft laugh from Treize and a towel was dropped   
on her head. "I'm very happy now," he said, pushing the   
towel back from her face and looking into her eyes while   
he rubbed her wet hair with the towel. "Sally Po was so   
determined to see me that she did something completely  
spontaneous."  
  
Knots started to form in Sally's stomach as she look into   
his eyes. "I'm spontanous sometimes," she protested. "And  
I did promise to tell you the result."  
  
"Hmmm..." Treize continued to dry her hair, bending closer  
so his face was only a few inches away from hers. "But you  
could have just called... instead you came to see me face   
to face. That definitely means that you have feelings for  
me... and that pleases me no end."  
  
"If you're going to be smug," Sally said, trying to ignore  
the fact that her heart was once again pounding, but for  
an entirely different reason. "Then I'm going to leave."  
  
"I don't think you're going to leave..." Treize murmured  
and dropped the towel to use one hand to cup her chin while  
the other pulled her body forward, closing the gap between  
them as he kissed her.   
  
This one felt different from his previous kisses, this was   
a hot, melting kiss which set Sally's blood on fire. A small,   
still rational part of her mind tried to convince her to end   
it, to pull away and remain aloof, to remember what she had   
decided. But Sally shoved that little voice ruthlessly aside   
and kissed back, raising her arms to wrap them around Treize's   
neck, pressing her body to his, letting her hormones overtake   
her reason.   
  
Treize made a pleased sound in the back of his throat and  
trailed his fingers down her neck, lightly tracing around   
her pulse as he stroked the line of her collarbone that was   
exposed by the open neck of her shirt. His mouth soon   
followed, tongue licking the rain from her skin, making Sally   
shiver and gasp. Her fingers curled, clutching at the fabric   
of his shirt. Never had she felt sensations like this and it   
almost frightened her that she was losing control so quickly.  
  
Treize kissed her lips again, another burning kiss coupled   
with his hand sliding down to cup one breast, his touch burning   
through the wet cloth. Sally let out a little moan and she   
pushed herself against his hand. His lips moved from hers to   
trail kisses along her cheek and nibbled at her sensitive   
earlobe. "Sally?" He breathed softly into her ear.   
  
"Un?" Sally twisted her head so she could look into his eyes.  
  
"I really think we should remove your wet clothes."   
  
For a brief moment Sally hesitated. If she was going to stop   
where this encounter was going, now was the time to do it. But   
she was well aware that she didn't _want_ to stop, that she had   
wanted this for a long time now. A slow, lazy smile crept across  
her lips, now was the time for her to assert herself, to make   
sure that she still retained some measure of control.   
  
"I think you're right," she murmured, enjoying the slight flash   
of surprise in his eyes. "But your clothes are a bit damp now   
too... "  
  
Treize stepped back, drawing her hands to his mouth and laying  
kisses on her palms, all the while keeping eye contact. "Are  
you sure, Sally?" he asked and she understood the meaning behind  
his question.  
  
"Yes," was her firm answer, and to back it up she plucked   
one hand from his grasp and began to undo the buttons of   
her wet shirt.  
  
He let her proceed for a while, then moved forward, deftly  
capturing her mouth as his fingers replaced hers. His hands   
brushing so gently over her smooth skin, making her pulse   
jump. Expertly he teased her senses, stripping her of   
clothing and moving her back towards the bedroom so smoothly   
that Sally was almost completely unaware of her surroundings   
until she was lying naked on the silk sheets.   
  
Treize crouched over her, somehow he had also managed to lose  
his clothing in the process and she was foggily aware that she  
had something to do with it. She ran her hands down his firm   
chest, feeling the definition of his muscles, her eyes a little   
wide, a little afraid, but wanting to see more. Treize   
smiled and opened his mouth, but she pressed her fingers  
to his lips, shaking her head. She didn't want to him to  
say anything, not yet, not now. She only wanted to feel.  
  
Treize kissed her fingertips gently and then pulled her  
against him, nibbling the line of her throat and jaw,  
his other hand moving down the line of her torso, stroking,  
kneading her flesh before slipping between her thighs.  
Sally gasped at the contact and dug her fingers into his  
shoulders, letting out low moans as he made a through  
assault with his talented hands. "I'm going to die..."  
she groaned and Treize chuckled against her neck.  
  
"Not yet, sweet Sally, not yet..." He kissed her mouth,  
teasing her further and she arched her back, pressing  
against him and feeling his need for her.   
  
He continued to seduce her senses with his hands and   
mouth, bringing her to her peak and then, in one smooth  
movement, he filled her. It hurt at first, it hurt   
terribly making Sally's eyes fill with tears and her  
body stiffen. However, the sensation was fleeting as   
Treize skillfully chased away the pain, allowing Sally  
to ride on an intense wave of pleasure that felt like  
it would shatter her.  
  
"I _am_ going to die."  
  
***  
  
tbc  



	6. Part 6

***  
  
Remembrance  
by Orla  
  
Warnings:   
Pairings: 13xSP, 5+SP??  
  
***  
  
Part 6  
  
***  
  
Disclaimer: The Gundam Wing characters do not belong to me,  
I am only borrowing them for a short while and promise  
to return them in one piece.  
  
***  
  
AC 199  
  
Thunder boomed and cracked, announcing the rain that the damp air had hinted at. Inside the old dorm room, the light dimmed, casting shadows on the faces of the two women. Their gazes were fixed, neither willing to look aside and show any weakness.   
  
"And despite everything, you just let him slip through your fingers," Nicola said eventually. "_I_ would never have let such a prize walk away from me."  
  
Sally quirked an eyebrow. "You know what your problem is," she said calmly. "You just won't accept the fact that I never saw Treize in that way."  
  
"That's because you were too dense to realise the advantages such a liasion would bring you!" Nicola sneered. "You could have been raised so high, become so much..."  
  
Sally sighed. "Nicola, I was well aware of the 'advantage' my liasion would bring, and quite frankly, it wasn't enough."  
  
"I was content to simply hate you before then," Nicola muttered, ignoring Sally's comment. "But once you took the final thing I wanted away, then I _had_ to do everything I could to discredit you... hurt you."  
  
"Such as stealing the exam?" Sally shook her head. "That could have damaged the careers of the others, not just me! Did you ever think about that?"  
  
Nicola grinned. "Huh, if yours had been the only one to go missing then it would have been more suspicious," she explained. "Ah... you have no idea the effort I had to go to in order to hijack those exams."  
  
"Effort that surely would have been better placed elsewhere," Sally commented acidly, earning another vicious glare from Nicola.   
  
"Stop giving me that fucking crap!" Nicola hissed. "You were so fucking lucky... I couldn't believe that you placed so well after everything I did! I tried to throw you off balance by sabotaging your gun, knowing that the commander would tell you about the exam later..."  
  
"And did you try to shoot me too?" Sally asked, her mind flashing back to the exercise when she'd had the distinct impression that she was being targeted.  
  
Nicola smirked. "Now, now... remember, I couldn't have killed you with paint pellets, but..." she looked a little coy. "I do admit that I was trying to hurt you... one of those pellets in the eye would have ruined your career and your relationship for good!"  
  
"Treize wouldn't have dumped me, just because I was blind in one eye!" Sally snapped.  
  
"But he dumped you anyway," Nicola said in satisfaction. "You couldn't hold Treize Khushrenada... and that makes me feel happy, although not as happy as I'll be when you're finally dead."  
  
Sally's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Nicola dear... who ever said that Treize dumped me? I dropped him."  
  
***  
  
AC 191  
  
The rain had stopped sometime in the night and the early morning sun was drying the soaked streets. Looking out of the window, Sally hugged her knees to her chest and decided that the city always looked fresher on sunny mornings after heavy rain. Then a sleepy murmur from the man beside her shook her out of such idle reflections and she looked down at him, turning her mind back to the thoughts that had awoken her.   
  
Treize looked alot more... vulnerable while he slept. Sally smiled slightly and brushed some strands of hair from his forehead. He twitched slightly, but didn't awaken and for that she was thankful. Especially as she was going to have to leave and, as cowardly as it was, she really wanted to be gone before he woke.  
  
Sally sighed. She didn't regret what had happened between them, she had enjoyed making love to Treize and felt secure in the knowledge that he cared deeply for her... as much as she cared for him.   
  
No, what hurt was that it wasn't enough. She didn't love him enough to give up everything she had worked so hard to achieve. And after weighing up all the options Sally knew that staying with Treize would be too much of a personal sacrifice to make.   
  
He had spoken of her joining the Specials. Telling her that even though the majority of people were from aristocratic backgrounds, there was still a place for people with talent. But that wouldn't work, she couldn't function as an OZ officier and Treize's lover. She would never be judged on her own merits, only on his influence. Besides which... there were some ideals held by Treize and others that Sally felt very uncomfortable with.  
  
Remaining an Alliance officier and and his lover was also out of the question. Not only would it be awkward, but for a while now the relations between the Alliance and OZ had been strained, despite the outward mask of friendship and cooperation that both wore. Sally wasn't a psychic, but she was sure that the masks would fall in the near future.   
  
Quitting her career wasn't an option that Sally particularly fancied either. Remaining with Treize as his lover or... Sally looked down at him with some amusement... his wife wouldn't suit her at all. She couldn't possibly fit in with that sort of lifestyle!  
  
*So the best thing, for the both of us, is to enjoy what we've had and move on with our lives and our careers... seperately* Sally thought as she slid from the bed and tiptoed into the other room to find her clothing. Everything was dry now and Sally dressed quickly, a little concerned that Treize would wake. She didn't feel ready to explain things to him yet.  
  
"You know," a voice edged with sleep and a touch of irritation drawled as Sally reached for the door handle. "Usually the one who creeps out without a word is the man."  
  
Sally froze and then let her hand drop. "Just doing my bit for gender equality," she said lightly. "Besides, it would look a bit silly for you to sneak out of your own apartment."  
  
"True," Treize acknowledged. "So may I ask why _you_ are sneaking out, Sally?"  
  
She turned and faced him. He was wearing a deep blue satin robe and his hair was mussed, however his expression was very alert. She sighed. "I'm sorry Treize, I shouldn't have tried to leave like this."  
  
He folded his arms and regarded her steadily. "It was a bit impolite," his eyes flashed briefly. "Regrets, Sally?"  
  
She shook her head. "No... no regrets, but I..." she looked at her hands, trying to collect her thoughts. "I should have told you something. I was going to last night, but... well..."  
  
A wry smile tugged at Treize's lips. "I understand," he said softly and crossed over to stand before her. "So, tell me now."  
  
"Before I met you, I had already decided that I wanted to work in medical," Sally said, she looked up at him and smiled. "My mother was a doctor once you see... Anyway, there is an Alliance surgeon who is based near L5 colony who is considered one of the most brilliant in his field. From him I can learn things in months that would usually take a year!"  
  
"Ah... I see," Treize picked up one of her hands in both of his and lightly stroked the slim fingers. "So that is why you were so concerned with getting the right marks. If I remember rightly, he's very picky about who is assigned to his staff."   
  
"Yes, he only choses top-ranking graduates," Sally sighed again, half from sadness and half from the tremour of desire that shot through her from Treize's gentle caresses. With a considerable effort, she pulled her hand away from his and moved back. "I contacted him a few days ago and he said that he was impressed with results I had achieved and that if I passed well then he'd accept me. And I got enough for him to accept me and," she met his eyes. "I can't pass up an opportunity like this."  
  
"And...?" Treize pressed, sensing she was leaving much unspoken.  
  
Sally grimaced. "You're not going to make this easy are you?"  
  
"Sally, this is the first time something like this has happened to me," he explained with a slight smile. "I think I deserve to know the full reason behind your decision."  
  
"Oh well, if you put it _that_ way..." Sally brushed back her hair and squared her shoulders. "All the options that we talked about, and that I thought of, wouldn't work. I can't join the Specials and be judged on my own merit. I can't remain part of the Alliance and carry on a liasion with you... not when things are progressing as they are."  
  
"I knew that someone as astute as you would not be oblivious to the rising tensions," Treize sounded more amused than upset. "The Alliance served a useful purpose once, but now it has become rusty and needs replacing."  
  
"This is exactly the sentiment that makes it impossible for me to stay!" Sally frowned. "You know I... no, Treize, you need someone who believes in your ideals, someone who will work with you... I can't see what's going to happen in the future, but I have an awful feeling that one day we're going to find ourselves on opposite sides."  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "Worried that you couldn't bring yourself to pull the trigger?"  
  
"Oh I could," Sally said coolly. "If I had to then I could, but it would be a lot easy if I wasn't emotionally involved."  
  
Silence dropped between them then and Sally was just starting to wonder if he was furious with her when Treize threw back his head and laughed.   
  
"Sally... if I could make you stay I would!" he said. "There is no one so refreshingly blunt as you!" he reached out and captured her hands again. "But you've made up your mind haven't you? Well, maybe you're right, and I won't argue that there are some things we don't see eye to eye on, so I'll let you go... however reluctant I am."  
  
"You are just too generous..." Sally muttered sacastically not sure how pleased she felt about him 'letting' her go.   
  
Treize chuckled again at her tone and grazed his lips against hers. "You have no idea," he murmured in her ear before biting it gently.  
  
"Treize..." Sally tried to pull away again, but he held her fast. "Treize, I'll be leaving right after I graduate, I don't think..."  
  
"Shhh," he kissed her neck. "I believe your graduation ceremony is in three days?"  
  
"Uh... yes..." Sally twisted her head to look into his eyes. "Three days from now," her eyes narrowed. "Are you going to try and convince me to stay with you for those three days?"  
  
Treize kissed her expertly. "That was a very silly question, Sally," he chided her. "Of _course_ I am."  
  
Slightly breathless from the kiss, Sally considered her position. Most of the other cadets would be spending time with their families before the ceremony and they left for their various posts. Sally knew that no one from her family would show up, she hadn't expected them to, and there was nothing to _keep_ her from spending the time with Treize. And she might as well enjoy the time she had with him as it was highly unlikely that they would meet again. She smiled and kissed him back forcefully.   
  
"Well, I guess staying with you is better than getting the third degree about my activities from the other girls," she teased and Treize smiled in satisfaction.   
  
"Then might I suggest we retire again? You left the bed much too early in my opinion."  
  
***  
AC 199  
  
"I don't believe it..." Nicola muttered. "After all the time I spent believing that you were going through hell because you loved him, but you... you dumped him?"  
  
"Well, that might have been a bit strong... considering it was an amicable part of ways," Sally said. Her tone was careless, but her sharp eyes were watching Nicola's every move, seeking out the right opportuinity.   
  
Nicola shook her head. "You're lying... you have to be lying! No one would... WHY?" she demanded and Sally's shoulders slumped slightly in exasperation.  
  
"I _told_ you why!" she snapped. "I didn't love him enough to sacrifice everything... and there were alot of other reasons which are too long to go into now... is it so hard for you to grasp this?"  
  
"It doesn't matter," Nicola mumbled, seeming not to hear Sally's words. "I don't care anymore... I'll die and you'll die... and that will be the end of everything," a crazed smile curved her lips. "I've been waiting so long..."  
  
"I'm curious," Sally interrupted her. "You keep talking of killing me... how do you plan to do away with me exactly? A bullet in the head?  
  
Nicola blinked and then shook her head. "It's tempting, but no," she leaned forward. "You see... as I said, I'm dying and this... thing..." she touched her chest. "Is eating me alive and it's much too far gone to to stop now. All that's left is to wait for it to consume me... possibly wait in a white hospital bed... alone, since no one will care to come to see me. I don't want that... that will _not_ be my death!"   
  
"So..." Sally said slowly. "You want to kill yourself... and me at the same time."  
  
"Exactly," Nicola looked almost cheerful. "I really want to take you to hell with me. You can't imagine how I felt after the Alliance was destroyed... Do you know that my little brother was killed during that time? By OZ soldiers too... _Treize's_ soldiers. I hoped that you had died too, but you didn't!" her face twisted. "You rose out of the dust and became a _hero_!" she shuddered and then straightened, pointing the gun at Sally. So..." she said brightly. "I've set explosives in and all around this building... in less than five minutes, you and I will be consumed by fire."  
  
"I'm sorry about your brother," Sally said quietly with her head bowed. "I lost some good friends during that time, but you can't make me the focus of your anger and grief, Nicola..." she raised her and glared at Nicola with blazing eyes. "I won't let you!"  
  
Nicola's upper lip curled. "What can you.... NO!" she screamed and fired as Sally surged forward.  
  
*Just as I expected...* Sally thought as she ducked the wild shot, going in for a low body blow. Tackling Nicola with her full body weight, Sally bore the lighter woman down and then rolled away before Nicola could regather herself and strike.   
  
With a speed rivalling a cat's, Sally was on her feet and running out of the door. Nicola had said that the explosives would go off in less than five minutes which meant Sally didn't have long to clear the building.   
  
"SALLY!" Nicola screamed after her and Sally heard the sharp report of a gun being fired. She ducked and swerved, but felt a burning pain rip through her upper arm and staggered. Biting her lip, Sally continued to run through the dark building as Nicola pursued her. *How long do I have? What exactly is _less_ than five minutes? Four? Three? Where was the exit again? Shit!* she staggered again as one of Nicola's bullets found their mark again, this time ripping through her right leg.   
  
"I'll shoot you into pieces if I have to!" Nicola cried and Sally's eyes narrowed.  
  
*Not likely!* she pushed the pain aside and put on an extra burst of speed, distancing herself from Nicola. She half-fell down the stairs as she turned a corner and managed to halt her break-neck speed by grabbing the banister at the bottom. Gulping in air, Sally moved forward again, hands outstetched, reaching for the door that she remembered. Her memory didn't fail her and her fingers fumbled desperately to open the latch as she heard the distant sound of Nicola's running steps coming closer. *Shit... what if she locked it from the outside?*  
  
The door flew open and Sally tumbled forward, catching herself before she fell into the arms of...  
  
"Wufei?!" she exclaimed.   
  
His black eyes widened in relieved surprise. "Sally! Wh..."  
  
"RUN!!" she screamed at him, shoving him back. "RUN!"  
  
He didn't question her, just grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. Sally stumbled after him as fast as she could, looking back over her shoulder she saw Nicola reach the top of the staircase. She couldn't see the other woman's face but she knew Nicola's expression was one of rage and chargin.  
  
*I told you... I wouldn't let you make me your focus... I'm sorry, you brought this on yourself... Treize would have told you the same.*  
  
Then all thought was drowned out as explosions ripped through the building and the blast knocked Wufei and Sally off their feet. Wufei twisted and reached for Sally, but her hand slipped from his grasped and she crashed onto the asphalt, rolled and lay still.  
  
***  
AC 191  
  
"Second lieutenant..." Sally touched the new bars on her uniform and smiled slightly. The graduation ceremony was over, she had emerged from the Academy with some of the highest honours and now she was acutely conscious of the papers in her pocket. Papers that confirmed her posting to the staff of one of the Alliance's greatest surgeons. She looked down at the duffel bag by her feet and smiled. Soon the transport would be here to take her and the others to the Spaceport.  
  
She raised her head and looked around at her classmates. Many were tearful, hugging each other and promising to keep in touch while their families looked on with proud smiles. Sally's lips curved downwards slightly. As expected there was no one to smile proudly at her. Not even a lover...  
  
Sally frowned and shook off that thought. She hadn't asked Treize to come, it didn't seem _right_ some how, and it was better to break things off cleanly, right? Still, a small part of her acknowledged that it would have been nice to see him one more time even after last night's passionate farewell.   
  
"Hey, Sally!" Nicola's voice drew Sally out of her thoughts and she smiled at her now ex-roommate.   
  
"Nicola! Congratulations on your posting!"  
  
The other girl grinned. "Not to shabby, huh? Better than I expected too!" her eyes narrowed and she regarded Sally with a serious expression. "Of course, not all of us can _chose_ our place."  
  
Sally raised an eyebrow. "Well, maybe some of us should have worked harder!"  
  
Something unreadable flickered in Nicola's eyes before she laughed. "Maybe, maybe..." she peered closely at Sally's face. "And how are you holding up?"  
  
"Huh?" Sally looked at her blankly. "What do you mean?"  
  
Nicola made a vague gesture. "Oh you know... you and Treize..."  
  
"It's all settled," Sally said firmly, her tone leaving no doubt that she wasn't going to discuss the matter further.  
  
"Oh... yes, of course," Nicola bit her lip and Sally touched her arm.   
  
"DOn't worry about me," she said just as the transport arrived. "Look, I have to go... keep in touch, okay?"  
  
Nicola smiled brightly at her. "Oh don't worry, Sal! You haven't heard the last of me."  
  
Sally shouldered her bag and smiled. "Good."  
  
She walked towards the transport and then paused, feeling the prickle of eyes on her back. Turning, Sally saw the crowds parting and a familiar figure stood there, watching her.   
  
Treize smiled and bowed, hand on his heart, before straightening and saluting her.  
  
Sally's lips curved into a broad smile. She blinked away the sudden tears that pricked her eyelids and saluted him back.  
  
They looked into each others eyes for a moment and then Sally turned on her heels and walked into the waiting transport.  
  
She never looked back.  
  
***  
  
to be concluded  
  
  



	7. Part 7 -epilogue

***  
  
Remembrance  
by Orla  
  
Warnings:   
Pairings: 13xSP, 5+SP??  
  
***  
  
Author's note: A0206 is the name of Wufei's colony. Sally observed  
the battle there. Treize's death at Wufei's hands happens in ep.  
48 and I personally believe that Treize let himself be killed.   
  
#...# indicates lyrics - 'Farewell Love' is by Clannad  
***  
  
Part 7 - Epilogue  
  
***  
  
Disclaimer: The Gundam Wing characters do not belong to me,  
I am only borrowing them for a short while and promise  
to return them in one piece.  
  
***  
AC 194  
  
The vid-phone started ringing as Sally walked into her room. Quickly   
she ran to it and picked it up, activating the screen. She almost   
dropped the receiver when she saw who her caller was.  
  
"Treize?"  
  
"I know it's been a while, Sally, but I had hoped that you wouldn't   
forget me that quickly," he smiled mockingly. "How are you?"  
  
She swallowed her surprise and matched his expression. "I'm fine,  
thank you for your concern, but what is your reason for calling  
me... sir?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "So formal? Ah well... my reason for calling  
is that I just received a report regarding Colony AO206."  
  
A chill ran through her for a moment, but Sally kept her face well  
composed. "Oh?"  
  
"You stated that Septem's plan was successful and there is no longer  
anyone left alive, is that correct?"  
  
*No.* "Yes, that's correct," Sally said without hesitation.  
  
Treize regarded her for a long time, a slight half-smile touching his  
lips and Sally _knew_ that he was fully aware of the truth. Finally  
he spoke, "Thank you, Sally. I just wanted to hear confirmation of  
this from you."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"Sally?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I hope you enjoy your new position as JAP point, I'm sure you will  
do well."  
  
She smiled. "Thank you... Treize."  
  
***  
AC 195  
  
There was a stunned silence within MO-II's command centre as the   
Tallgeese II exploded. Lady Une's shoulders slumped as she leaned on  
the console, but no sound emerged from her mouth. The OZ soldiers  
stared at each other and then at the Lady, one of them daring to  
ask the question that was running through their minds.  
  
"Captain Lady Une... Captain... your orders?"  
  
"Tell the White Fang that the Earth Nation surrenders."  
  
At the back, Sally unclenched her fists. Several emotions coursed  
through her, mainly relief and concern for the young Gundam pilot  
who had dealt the killing blow, but there was also a touch of  
sorrow.   
  
*Treize, you did this deliberately... if you had been fighting  
with all that you had then the outcome could have been much different.  
But I think you knew... there really was no place for your ideals   
in the new world that is emerging. So, I am glad for you... you   
got the death you wanted.*  
  
A soft exclaimation from Une pulled Sally from her own thoughts.  
  
"You were magnificent, your Excellency."  
  
Sally smiled. *And there is someone here who can mourn you much  
better than I ever could.*  
  
***  
AC 199  
  
Sally opened her eyes and blinked, attempting to clear her vision  
and focus on where she was. Turning her head slightly she saw a   
number of machines and knew she was in a hospital, at the same   
time her head throbbed, protesting the movement. Wincing, she  
started to lift her hand and then let out a hiss as pain tingled  
through her shoulder. *Oh... yes, that's right... I was shot...*  
  
Biting her lip against the pain, Sally managed to sit herself   
upright and take better stock of her surroundings. She realised  
that she was in the Preventers hospital wing and there was Wufei  
sleeping on the chair near her...   
  
"Wufei?" Sally exclaimed and his eyes snapped open.   
  
"Sally," he got up and stood by her bed. His alertness indicated  
that he had only been dozing, not really asleep at all. "How  
do you feel?"  
  
"A bit banged-up," she said with a rueful smile. Memory kicked  
in and she closed her eyes slightly. "She must be dead then..."  
  
"If you are talking about the woman who tried to kill you," said  
Wufei with an edge in his voice. "Then, yes... she is dead," he  
leaned forward. "You've been unconscious for an entire day, woman."  
  
"Ah... that explains why I still hurt."  
  
Wufei picked up a glass of water and some painkillers from the   
bedside table and handed them to her without a word. Sally took  
them with thanks, inwardly wincing at his stern face. Wufei was  
going to demand an explanation soon and she wasn't sure that she  
felt ready to give him one.  
  
"So, are you going to tell me what this was all about?" Wufei  
said after she had swallowed the pills. "Why did you pull such  
a crazy stunt? Going into such a situation without wanting  
backup! You were nearly killed!"  
  
Sally sighed and rubbed her temples. "I know... I know, but really  
it was my personal business, Wufei," she looked at him. "You   
would have done the same!"  
  
He folded his arms and looked down his nose at her. Sally frowned,  
she felt decidedly at a disadvantage sitting in the hospital bed,  
but there wasn't alot she could do about it. She drew in a deep  
breath and then let it out slowly, composing herself.  
  
"The woman was Nicola, an old classmate of mine from my academy days,  
and someone who I had considered a friend..." Sally began and then  
went on to explain Nicola's actions, but editing out the references  
to Treize as she went on.  
  
There was a disbelieving expression on Wufei's face when she had   
finished. "This woman did all that because she was _jealous_?" he  
exclaimed. "How ridiculous!"  
  
Sally spread her hands. "I know, but maybe her illness had affected  
her brain."  
  
"Women are so irrational!" Wufei snorted and then glanced briefly at  
Sally before amending his comment. "Well, most women are."  
  
Sally hid a smile, it was always good to hear that Wufei considered  
her better than most women. Relief flowed through her, it looked  
like Wufei was going to be happy with the explanation she had just  
provided.  
  
Wufei's brows snapped together suddenly. "Wait a minute... I can   
understand this Nicola woman sending you the rifle and the exam,  
but what possible reason did she have to set fire to Dermail's  
mansion? That was nothing to do with _you_."  
  
"Uh..." Sally sighed, so much for thinking that things would be _easy_.  
"Well, it did... sort of. You see, one of the things that Nicola  
was jealous of was my... friendship with Duke Demail's grandson."  
  
"Treize Khushrenada?" shock lanced through Wufei's voice. "You were  
friends with HIM?"  
  
"Yes," Sally said simply.   
  
"Why?" Wufei asked in bafflement.   
  
"Well... it was a bit different then," Sally explained. "He was  
younger and so was I. We were only friends for a short time..."  
*And lovers for an even shorter period!* "And I didn't really  
see him after I left the academy."  
  
Wufei's eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't think you're telling me  
everything, woman."  
  
She met his black eyes, her expression serious. "No, I'm not, but  
Wufei... everything that happened is in the past, why should it  
matter? Looking back doesn't help anyone, you have to focus on  
now and the future, or the past will drag you down."  
  
He reacted as if she had slapped him and turned away for a moment.  
"I... understand," he said after a short silence. "And you are...  
right, sometimes it is better to leave the past as the past."  
  
She smiled and reached out, grabbing his hand, causing him to   
look at her in astonishment. Sally's eyes sparkled. "Now, Wufei  
was it so hard to admit that I was right?"  
  
He growled slightly, but didn't remove his hand. "Woman... Sally,"  
he bent over her. "You are not _always_ right," he argued and then,  
quickly and before she could react, he kissed her forehead. As she  
stared at him, wide-eyed, he pulled his hand from hers and walked  
quickly out of the room. "We'll talk more, later."  
  
Sally's hand trembled slightly as she touched her forehead. The   
skin his lips had touched seemed to burn. She smiled. Oh yes, they  
would talk... and maybe, just maybe she would tell him everything.  
  
"But not yet," she murmured, lying back down on the bed. "Not until   
it's the right time."  
  
***  
One week later  
  
She laid the white roses on the gravestone and straightened. The  
stone was still clean and white, obviously carefully tended, the   
name and dates clear to the eyes.   
  
Brushing a strand of dark blond hair aside, Sally smiled. "Well,  
I never thought I would come here," she said lightly. "But it   
seems like there are alot of things happening lately that I never  
thought would happen."  
  
She glanced back at the car that was parked on the side of the   
road, it's single occupant barely visible.   
  
"I don't want to cut into her time though, so I'm going to keep  
this brief," she knelt back down by the gravestone and traced the  
letters of his name with her fingers. "I purposefully forgot about  
you, did you realise that? I think some part of me was a bit scared  
that I would decide to throw myself back at you. I know I never   
really told you... but I did love you, as much as a fifteen year  
old could love someone," she smiled softly. "And I like to think  
that you really did love me."  
  
The wind picked up and the roses waved gently in the stronger breeze.  
Sally brushed strands of hair from her face again and stood up,   
brushing grass from her skirt. "However, this time is a true goodbye.  
I have someone else to think about now and he's still a bit touchy   
about you," a fond expression passed over Sally's face. "Actually he's  
touchy about almost everything which is why I'm not going to rush   
things between us," she smirked slightly. "He's still suspicious  
about me and you, but I think it will be alright by the time I  
finally tell him."  
  
Sally tilted her head and focused on the gravestone again. "Well,   
I think I've said everything I needed to. The only other thing  
I can think of is to say... thank you... thank you for everything."  
  
With a small ironic smile, Sally saluted, mirroring her farewell  
of eight years ago. "Farewell... love."  
  
  
#Voices of memory, I hear you.  
A book of stories told... stories old  
Dreams of good times...  
Dreams of sad times...  
And foolish moments we will long share.#  
  
***  
~Owari~  



End file.
